𝘑𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵: 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘙𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘋𝘔, 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘨𝘳𝘪 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘦
𝗙𝗠𝗗 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗦: 𝗚𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗡 𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗘
Affected municipal area: Mossel Bay
Potential municipal area affected (test results pending): George
FMD-affected farms (officially confirmed): 2 (+1)
FMD-suspect site(s), pending test results: 2 (-2)
FMD-Vaccines administered to date: 6 453 (+2 885)
Livestock infected: Cattle
Number of Vehicle Control Points around quarantined area: 9
𝗩𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦 𝗗𝗨𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗔
One million FMD vaccines are expected to be delivered in South Africa on 21 February 2026 (the number of vaccines earmarked for the Garden Route must still be decided). A further five million doses are expected to arrive by 1 March 2026 for rollout completed by December 2026.
𝗪𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗡 𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗘 𝗩𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦
Phase 1: Infected herd and others within the 3km (if lesions are found outside 3km, expand to 10km).
Phase 2: Commonage and informal area livestock.
Phase 3: High-risk herds (farms close to free-roaming cattle, close to abattoirs and where there is a lot of movement, etc.).
Phase 4: Dairy herds.
Phase 5: Beef herds.
𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗩𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞
𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀
The Western Cape Provincial Government (WCG) Local State Veterinarian, Dr Leana Janse van Rensburg, is still waiting for confirmation on whether two of the pending Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) test samples (one in George and one near the index farm in Hartenbos), are positive or negative.
One of the farms next to the index farm tested positive for FMD.
𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘅 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺, 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗠𝗗.
Dr Janse van Rensburg with her team members have started to vaccinate herd within the 10km radius of the index farm, because all livestock within the 3km radius have been vaccinated. The Garden Route has administered the highest number of FMD vaccines in the Western Cape.
𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲-𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲:
• Brandwacht (18 February)
• Power Town (19 February)
• KwaNonqaba (20 and 21 February 2026)
𝗙𝗠𝗗 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗪𝗖𝗚 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗘𝗥
Premier and Western Cape, and the WCG Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, will update the public about the Western Cape’s Foot-and-Mouth disease response.
Date: 20 February 2026
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Location: Premier’s Media Room, First Floor, 7 Wale Street, Cape Town or MS Teams
https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/37661461219398…
Media wishing to attend in-person or virtually are requested to contact Regan Thaw, Media Liaison Officer to the Premier, at 083 627 7246 or [email protected]
𝗙𝗠𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗖𝗘𝗦
All FMD resources, including updates, are uploaded here: https://www.gardenroute.gov.za/…/foot-and-mouth-disease/
Western Cape Department of Agriculture updates, are uploaded here: https://www.elsenburg.com/foot-and-mouth-disease-fmd…/
The next update will be published by 20 February 2026.
𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗦𝗨𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗦
Garden Route Emergency Call Centre
044 805 5071 or WhatsApp 081 709 5193
𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔 𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦
Herman Pieters
GRDM Manager: Communications
[email protected]
081 455 5699
Rojeanne de Wet
Agri Western Cape
[email protected]
071 170 3744