South Africa produces first local vaccine to combat foot-and-mouth disease

The country is facing its worst outbreak of the illness that infects cattle herds. But the first locally-produced vaccine could become a major ally in fighting the disease.

For South African livestock farmers, the past months were an ever-increasing desperate battle. Currently facing the worst outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in decades, they were struggling to protect their herds from getting infected.

Foot-and-mouth disease is rarely fatal, but it causes painful blisters in the mouthes and under the hooves of cattle. As a resut, milk production decreases, and cattle have to be quarantined.

As a result, farmers lose export markets and face trade restrictions, as well as having rising veterinary costs. Altogether, the outbreak has had a highly negative economic impact.

A strategy against the disease

But the South African government now wants to turn around the situation.

Until now, the country mostly had to import vaccines against the disease. But for the first time in 21 years, foot-and-mouth disease vaccines are being produced locally again, according to an announcement made on Friday.

The first batch contains 12 900 multi-strain doses.

The government also announced a multi-phase plan to regain control over the situation and alleviate the stress on livestock farmers.

Until the end of January, around two million animals were vaccinated. The locally-produced vaccines are meant to accelerate the vaccination campaign.

By March, the government wants an additional 5 million vaccine doses to be available.

Stricter testing and checks until the summer should then reduce the spread of the disease and detect new cases faster.

Until next January, the ambitious plan should have reduced outbreaks by more than 70% in high-risk areas, as authorities hope.