Foot-and-mouth disease spreads in South Africa Cattle sector ramps up vaccination efforts6 June 2025 6 June 2025 2 minute read 2 minute read By: By: Global Ag Media AfricaSouth Africa is building up vaccine stocks and expanding inoculations to fight a worsening foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, Reuters reported, citing the agriculture ministry, as the country faces threats to beef supplies. Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious, viral infection of cloven-hoofed animals that may also affect other species. The government has ordered over 900,000 doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines with the first batch expected to arrive next week, the agriculture ministry said in a statement late on Thursday. The foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks have resulted in South African beef and related products being banned in markets such as China, Namibia and Zimbabwe. South Africa's livestock sector is also recovering from its worst avian flu outbreak, which destroyed a third of the national chicken flock in 2023.