FMD outbreak reported in South Africa's Free State Province

JOHANNESBURG, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been detected in a commercial farm in Kroonstad, South Africa's Free State Province, said the country's Department of Agriculture on Monday.

The department said the affected property was placed under quarantine on July 8, and immediate control measures were implemented, including surveillance and vaccination.

"Trace-back activities are ongoing to determine the source of the infection, while farms within a 10-km radius are undergoing surveillance to determine the possible extent of the spread," said Dipepeneneng Serage, deputy director-general of the Department of Agriculture, in a statement.

As of July, a total of 270 FMD outbreaks have been reported across five provinces in South Africa. Of these, 249 outbreaks remain unresolved, while 21 have undergone resolution, according to the statement.

"Eastern Cape has recorded 40 outbreaks, with 38 still open and two resolved. There have been no new reported cases in Eastern Cape since September 2024. KwaZulu-Natal has been the most affected province, with 191 reported outbreaks, of which 172 remain active and 19 have been resolved," said the department.

"Since May 2025, Gauteng has reported 32 outbreaks, North West has four open outbreaks, while Mpumalanga has reported three outbreaks," it added.

In late June, South Africa launched its FMD vaccination campaign, with over 900,000 jabs ordered and valued at over 70 million rand (about 3.9 million U.S. dollars). Enditem