South Africa launches nationwide vaccination against FMD

South Africa on Friday launched a nationwide vaccination campaign against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) to protect the country's livestock industry and agricultural economy, local media reported.



During a visit to a farm near Mooi River in KwaZulu-Natal Province, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen said that mass vaccination remains the government's primary strategy to effectively contain the outbreak, according to TimesLIVE news site.



"We are committed to protecting the livelihoods of our farmers, from our communal lands to our commercial operations," Steenhuisen said, noting that the government's goal is to regain its "FMD-free with vaccination" status.



To support the nationwide effort, 45 vaccination teams have been deployed across the country, operating daily with a target of inoculating up to 90,000 animals per day and covering the approximately 2.4 million head of cattle in KwaZulu-Natal, which has been identified as the primary epicenter of the outbreak.