South African President Declares Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak a "National Disaster"

South African President Ramaphosa announced on the 12th in Cape Town, the legislative capital, that South Africa has declared the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak a “national disaster” and will mobilize all necessary resources nationwide to respond to the epidemic. During his State of the Nation address at Cape Town City Hall that evening, Ramaphosa said that this outbreak could lead to export bans, trade restrictions, and the death of a large number of livestock, damaging South Africa’s economy. He stated that the government will focus on coordinating vaccine procurement to ensure access to vaccines suitable for the specific virus strains within South Africa and will vaccinate 14 million cattle nationwide. The government will work closely with the private sector to ensure efficient vaccination efforts.

The current outbreak began in April 2025 in KwaZulu-Natal Province and quickly spread to several key agricultural regions. The South African government announced a national foot-and-mouth disease control strategy in January this year, along with plans to initiate related vaccination programs. Foot-and-mouth disease is a viral infectious disease that spreads among cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, and pigs. The main symptoms in infected animals include fever, blisters, and ulcers in the oral mucosa and hooves. While less contagious to humans, people who have frequent contact with infected animals may also become infected. (Xinhua)