Vaccination teams have been deployed to Dannhauser in northern KwaZulu-Natal after cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) were confirmed at a piggery in the area.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture said the outbreak was detected on a pig farm in the Amajuba District, marking a concerning development as the disease has largely affected cattle across South Africa.
FMD has already been declared a national disaster, prompting an intensified vaccination campaign across the province. Authorities say the latest response in Dannhauser aims to contain the spread and reduce the viral load.
According to the department, more than 13,400 vaccine doses have been administered to pigs and 4,200 to cattle in the Amajuba District alone, covering multiple farms and dipping tanks.
“Veterinary-led teams have vaccinated a total of 21,500 cattle in the uMgungundlovu District, 3,200 in the uThukela District, and 140 in uMzinyathi District, with further campaigns to be rolled out,” the department said.
Earlier outbreaks were reported in December at three commercial pig farms in Winterton and Bergville, raising concerns about the spread of the highly contagious disease.
Officials confirmed that vaccination campaigns in the Ugu and Harry Gwala districts have been completed. More than 250,000 doses were administered across four local municipalities in Harry Gwala, while over 54,000 cattle were vaccinated in Ugu between February 26 and March 4.
In total, more than 306,000 vaccine doses have been administered across the two districts, covering both communal and commercial livestock.
The department said vaccination teams will next focus on the uMkhanyakude District Municipality, with operations scheduled to run from March 30 to April 8, as efforts continue to curb the outbreak and protect the province’s livestock industry.