SA resumes FMD strain submissions to global reference lab in boost to disease control strategy

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has announced that South Africa has resumed submitting Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) field strains to the Pirbright Institute in the United Kingdom, marking the first time since 2011 that the country has sent samples to the global authority.

Steenhuisen said the Pirbright Institute serves as the World Reference Laboratory for FMD.

While the institute does not manufacture vaccines, it plays a critical role in determining whether vaccines used globally match the virus strains currently circulating in the field.

Steenhuisen noted that over the past year, the Department of Agriculture had already sent various materials to the Pirbright laboratory as part of routine sharing among World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) reference laboratories, most recently in the last quarter of 2023.

“The reason WOAH reference laboratories share circulating strains of pathogens is to update each other’s catalogues for reference purposes,” he said.

Steenhuisen said such exchanges help laboratories update their pathogen reference catalogues. He also cautioned farmers and industry stakeholders against misinformation claiming that the FMD strains were sent to the wrong division at Pirbright.

“The virus strains were sent to the correct laboratory,” he said.

Steenhuisen explained that Pirbright assesses submissions based on the declared pathogen, biosafety category, documentation, and chain-of-custody records — not simply the waybill.

On arrival, samples are triaged and routed internally to the appropriate reference laboratory, with any concerns flagged immediately.

The submission of FMD strains forms part of the Department’s new 10-year FMD Eradication Strategy, which aims to move South Africa towards “FMD-free status with vaccination”.

The strategy’s initial phase, Stabilisation (Years 1–2), will focus on intensive mass vaccination in high-risk hotspot areas, with the goal of reducing outbreak incidents by 70% in the first year. Authorities aim to reach at least 80% vaccination coverage in targeted cattle populations — especially in communal areas — and up to 100% in feedlots and dairy herds.

Phase 2, Consolidation (Years 2–4), involves establishing secure buffer zones and certified disease-free “compartments” to protect provinces such as the Western Cape and Northern Cape, enabling the safe resumption of international trade.

Phases 3 and 4, Recovery (Years 4–10), will see the gradual withdrawal of vaccination in specific zones and applications for formal FMD-free recognition from WOAH.

Agricultural industry leaders have welcomed the move.

Francois Rossouw, CEO of the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai), described the resumption of strain submissions as a critical step in any serious FMD control programme.

“This is a critical step in any serious FMD control programme, because vaccine success depends on whether the vaccine strains match what is actually circulating in the veld and in herds right now,” Rossouw said.

“When matching is confirmed, vaccination becomes far more targeted and effective, giving farmers confidence that the doses being administered can realistically reduce spread and outbreaks.”

He added that poor matching provides early warning to adjust vaccine choices before further damage occurs, but stressed that strain testing must be supported by strict movement controls, credible traceability systems, rapid diagnostics, and sufficient vaccine supply.

Dawee Maree, head of agriculture information and marketing at FNB South Africa, also emphasised the importance of strain matching.

“I’m not a veterinarian, but as I understand it, it will be one of the first building blocks in the vaccination process. It is important to determine if you vaccinate the correct vaccines related to the correct strains of the FMD virus; otherwise, the whole vaccination drive will be useless and a waste of money.”

Dewald Olivier, the CEO of Red Meat Industry Services, said that effective vaccination is one of the tools used in the fight against FMD.

“For a vaccine to be effective, it must match the strains currently in circulation. RMIS welcomes the Department’s decision to resume strain submissions to the Pirbright Institute,” Olivier said.

“This practice will ensure that vaccines under consideration for import are effective against the strains we’re facing in South Africa, preventing wasted time, effort, and resources.”

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