An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in KwaZulu-Natal is devastating the dairy sector, which supplies 30% of South Africa's milk. Farmers report massive financial hits and emotional strain, while vaccine shortages hinder containment efforts. Veterinarians urge proactive vaccination to stem the crisis.
The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in KwaZulu-Natal has escalated rapidly, threatening national food security and rural livelihoods, according to the Milk Producers’ Organisation. In a statement on 8 December 2025, the group highlighted severe vaccine shortages that limit responses to reactive measures only. The province hosts about 220,000 dairy animals, vital for 30% of the country's milk output.
On 4 December 2025, visits to areas like Ixopo, Creighton, Howick, and uMzimkhulu revealed the outbreak's toll. Dairy farmer Dave Moberly from Creighton described his ordeal with 1,200 cows, where 800 became infected and 500 severely so. Securing vaccines from Botswana cost over R180,000, but state delays—10 days for approvals plus four more due to oversight—allowed the virus to spread. "Had we injected two weeks before when we were asking, we wouldn’t have been infected," Moberly said.
Symptoms hit hard: animals showed frothing from mouth lesions, high fevers, reduced milk production, excessive salivation, and lameness. Dairy cows suffered more intensely than beef breeds, with painful blisters on teats requiring extra staff—10 additional hires—to manage milking and prevent deaths from blue udder. Moberly called the experience "horrific," noting mental damage to his son, who worked without a break for six weeks, and strain on farm workers.
Veterinarians Dr. Gareth Myles and Dr. Savannah Stutchbury from Howick Veterinary Clinic explained that private practitioners cannot control FMD, a state-regulated matter. The virus spreads aggressively: 10 cases on day one can balloon to 500 by day three. In their area, 30,000 to 40,000 dairy cows are at risk, excluding informal sectors that may double that figure. They stressed outdated vaccination strategies, advocating for preemptive shots in at-risk herds, akin to a firebreak, rather than post-infection efforts.
Financially, Moberly's farm saw daily milk drop from 21,000 to 11,500 litres, equating to R1.5 million monthly losses, plus R500,000 in extra veterinary costs for antibiotics and biosecurity. Farmers employ measures like vehicle sanitizing and movement limits, but without prompt state vaccines and checkpoints, recovery could take a year—or lead to closures for some. The Department of Agriculture was approached for comment.