South Africa Faces Worsening Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak

South African Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has called for intensified efforts to curb a growing outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, warning that insufficient action is jeopardizing farmers’ livelihoods, the agricultural industry, and the economy, Bloomberg reports.

In an emailed statement released Wednesday, Steenhuisen highlighted the severity of the situation in KwaZulu-Natal province, which currently has 147 active cases of the highly contagious illness. Foot-and-mouth disease affects cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats, and its spread is being exacerbated by new infections emerging outside of designated disease-management areas.

“This lack of sufficient action is jeopardizing farmers’ livelihoods, the agricultural industry, and the economy,” Steenhuisen stated, urging officials in his department to take immediate and decisive action. “This needs to stop. Immediately.”

South Africa initially declared designated disease areas in KwaZulu-Natal in 2021, and last month, Steenhuisen was compelled to expand the boundaries of these regions due to the virus’s continued spread. The situation is particularly concerning as restrictions on livestock movement are crucial to preventing further outbreaks.