A fresh outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) has been confirmed in the Humansdorp area under the Kouga Municipality, dealing a severe blow to a local farming community and raising fears of further spread.
The outbreak is centered on the farming community in Kruisfontein, where over 120 cattle are managed. Authorities have confirmed that more than 30 cattle are displaying strong symptoms of the contagious viral disease and have been isolated in a designated quarantine camp. The community, which relies on its beef cattle business to create jobs and build a sustainable enterprise, says the outbreak is devastating.
“It’s a big blow for us because the beef cattle we use it to implement more, creating more jobs,” said a heartbroken community farmer. “But for this time now, it’s heartbreaking for us because there’s nothing we can do to sell our animals and to get some funding from that animals to go further and build the company… it gives us a setback.”
This latest incident follows a confirmed case reported at the Amahlathi Local Municipality in December 2023, indicating a persistent threat in the region. Last month, the provincial agriculture department restricted animal movement after that Amahlathi case, with suspected cases also noted in the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Local Municipality.
Kouga Municipality has implemented strict controls on roaming animals, with law enforcement engaging communal farmers and monitoring hotspot areas. Farmers have been advised to move any symptomatic animals to the quarantine camp.
A spokesperson involved in the response emphasized the uncertainty of the outbreak’s scope. “What we don’t know is we are sure that there are other animals that are around this area that will probably also be affected,” the spokesperson said. Surveillance operations using drones and state veterinary technicians are planned to identify any additional sick animals.
The shadow of recent history looms large. According to officials, about 320 million Rand was lost within a year in the Kouga and Sarah Baartman municipalities’ dairy farms during the 2024 FMD outbreak.
A representative for agricultural interests highlighted the current crisis in vaccine availability. “We hope we can buy time because at the very moment there are no vaccines available,” they stated. The immediate response has focused on urging farmers to drastically increase biosecurity measures. “Make sure that no unnecessary travel takes place or people enter their farms. And especially no movement of animals, because those two elements—animals movement and people—are the biggest spreaders of the disease.”
The provincial agriculture department has concurrently embarked on awareness campaigns, engaging directly with farmers to contain the spread. The situation remains fluid, with authorities racing to prevent a repeat of the massive economic losses suffered in the region just last year.