South Africa’s Department of Agriculture has unveiled the country’s first domestically manufactured vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) after almost 20 years. Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), revealed the launch of an initial batch comprising 12,900 vaccine doses, with production set to increase to 20,000 doses weekly by March. Plans are underway to distribute the vaccine to herds nationwide, marking a strategic shift towards a proactive, science-driven approach to combat the disease and regain South Africa’s FMD-free status from the World Organisation for Animal Health.
The milestone signifies a transition from reactive measures to a more preemptive strategy against FMD, aiming to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign FMD vaccine suppliers, as reported by Xinhua news agency. Foot-and-mouth disease predominantly impacts cloven-hoofed animals like cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats, manifesting symptoms such as fever, mouth sores, and blistering rashes on extremities. This highly contagious viral disease poses significant economic repercussions, particularly affecting intensively reared livestock breeds.
FMD, characterized by fever and blister-like sores in the oral cavity, teats, and hooves, results in substantial production losses and debilitation among affected animals. While adult animals typically recover from the disease, young livestock face heightened mortality risks, often due to myocarditis or maternal milk deprivation when dams contract the infection. Wildlife, particularly African buffalo, can also carry FMD viruses, although other species do not serve as reservoirs for the disease.
