South Africa

By early March 2026, the outbreak had spread across all provinces, affecting nearly 300,000 cattle and over 120,000 culled.

Condemned batches were contaminated with Salmonella, stolen from a waste facility, and illegally re-entered the market.

Zambian authorities say this precautionary measure will be reviewed based on how the outbreak in South Africa evolves.

According to WOAH, H5N1 is affecting poultry and wild birds across multiple African countries, with Mozambique reporting a novel low‑pathogenic variant.

While the resumption of local vaccine manufacturing marks a turning point, South Africa’s production capacity will initially remain limited.

Farmers in Eastern Cape say FMD keeps spreading fast, while authorities warn that poor vaccine control could worsen the crisis.

Without urgent and coordinated action, the livelihoods of thousands of South African farmers and the stability of the livestock sector remain at serious risk.

This ruling restores predictabilityamid rising feed expenses, outbreaks of avian influenza, and supply chain disruptions.

Farmers and livestock owners are strongly urged to halt all movement of cloven-hoofed animals until further notice.

The original restriction was introduced after a listeriosis outbreak in South Africa in 2017.