South Africa: How Foot and Mouth Disease Ran Amok

Farmers in South Africa initially saw the potential threat of the foot and mouth disease (FMD) but were unable to prevent its spread. On Mearns dairy farm, located outside Mooi River in KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, workers dug trenches to cull sick cows in a humane manner. Despite their knowledge of the disease, the outbreak proved devastating, leading to the infection of 1,500 out of 1,600 cattle.

The disease began in January 2021 and has since spread nationwide, causing significant financial losses and emotional distress for farmers due to the loss of healthy cows, reduced milk production, and challenging quarantine regulations.