According to South African authorities, only 38 FMD outbreaks have been officially closed so far, while the overwhelming majority remain active. This underscores the scale of the challenge and the urgent need to strengthen disease control measures.
The Free State remains the worst-affected province, with 591 reported outbreaks. The highest concentrations have been recorded in the municipalities of Moqhaka, Ngwathe, Mafube and Metsimaholo, which are now considered the epicentre of the outbreak.
The disease has also spread extensively in the North West Province, where 358 outbreaks have been reported, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 336. Gauteng and Mpumalanga have recorded 275 and 247 outbreaks respectively, demonstrating that the virus has spread well beyond its original hotspots.
Particular concern surrounds the Eastern Cape, where the number of outbreaks has risen rapidly to 325. The largest clusters have been reported in Amahlathi, Raymond Mhlaba, Ngquza Hill, Elundini and Enoch Mgijima. The continued spread of the disease poses a serious threat to the province's beef and dairy industries.
Although KwaZulu-Natal was one of the first provinces to launch large-scale vaccination campaigns, the disease continues to circulate actively there. The highest numbers of outbreaks have been recorded in Ulundi, Nongoma, Big 5 Hlabisa and uPhongolo.
The outbreak has also affected major livestock-producing regions and animal movement corridors. In Gauteng, the highest numbers of cases have been reported in the City of Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, while the main hotspots in Mpumalanga include Dipaleseng, Steve Tshwete, Lekwa and Nkomazi.
By contrast, the Western Cape and Northern Cape remain the least affected provinces, with 22 and 16 reported outbreaks respectively. Limpopo has currently recorded 79 outbreaks.
Experts note that the scale of the outbreak highlights the urgent need to strengthen disease control efforts, including movement restrictions, surveillance, vaccination and enhanced biosecurity measures, in order to prevent further spread of the virus and minimise losses to South Africa's livestock industry.
PigUA.info, based on 3tres3.com.