---
title: "New foot and mouth disease outbreak among Free State cattle, 270 cases now in 5 provinces"
description: "The rapid spread of the disease – and the top-notch operations that have been hit – underscore mounting concerns about South Africa’s capacity to rise to the challenge of biosecurity and is a hammer blow to the livestock sector."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "BIOSECURITY BLOW"
author: "Ed Stoddard"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/ed-stoddard/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-07-15-new-foot-and-mouth-disease-outbreak-in-free-state/"
published: "2025-07-15T13:52:20"
updated: "2025-07-15T13:52:21"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 267
---

# New foot and mouth disease outbreak among Free State cattle, 270 cases now in 5 provinces

> The rapid spread of the disease – and the top-notch operations that have been hit – underscore mounting concerns about South Africa’s capacity to rise to the challenge of biosecurity and is a hammer blow to the livestock sector.

By Ed Stoddard · Published 15 July 2025, 15:52 SAST · Updated 15 July 2025, 15:52 SAST

## Key points
- As foot and mouth disease gallops through South Africa with 270 outbreaks across five provinces, including a surprising hit at the world's largest feedlot, the livestock sector faces a biosecurity crisis that could either send beef prices soaring or, paradoxically, make our meat more affordable.
- New foot and mouth disease outbreak detected in Free State, totaling 270 cases across five provinces.
- KwaZulu-Natal remains the epicenter with 191 outbreaks, while the Eastern Cape reports 40.
- Ongoing trace-back activities aim to identify the infection source amid heightened surveillance in surrounding areas.
- Concerns grow over biosecurity and potential beef price increases, though export bans may stabilize domestic supply.

## Content

A new foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak has been detected in the Free State, bringing a total of 270 cases spanning five provinces, the Department of Agriculture said.

The latest outbreak occurred on a commercial farm in Moqhaka Local Municipality in the Kroonstad state veterinary area, the department said late on Monday (15 July).

“Trace-back activities are ongoing to determine the source of the infection, while farms in the surrounding 10km radius are undergoing surveillance to determine the possible extent of the spread,” it said.

“As of July 2025, a total of 270 FMD outbreaks have been reported across five provinces in South Africa. Of these, 249 outbreaks remain unresolved, while 21 have undergone resolution.”

KwaZulu-Natal is the hotspot, with 191 reported outbreaks, of which 172 remain active. The Eastern Cape has also been hard hit, with 40 recorded outbreaks and 38 of them still active.

“Since May 2025 Gauteng has reported 32 outbreaks, North West has four open outbreaks, while Mpumalanga has reported three outbreaks,” the department said.

The [Gauteng outbreaks](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-06-03-gauteng-foot-and-mouth-outbreak-at-worlds-largest-feedlot-is-a-red-meat-flag/) have included the world’s largest feedlot, operated by Karan Beef, a facility renowned for its strict measures on this front.

The rapid spread of the disease – and the top-notch operations that have been hit – underscore mounting concerns about South Africa’s capacity to rise to the challenge of biosecurity and is a hammer blow to the livestock sector.

There have also been concerns about potential shortages driving up beef prices, but agricultural economists maintain that the export bans triggered by the outbreaks will boost domestic supplies and possibly bring meat prices down. **DM**