Foot-and-Mouth Disease - In the Trenches

Deadly secondary infections take their toll

We have been closely connected to the current outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease since we visited a friend's farm in late December 2025. They were being extremely cautious, and we spent the night around the braai discussing the disaster and worrying about the months ahead.

Raising Awareness From Inside The Outbreak

We approached the Berkemeyers, who farm cattle outside Bethlehem in the Free State, to ask how their lives had changed and whether they might keep us updated. Spurred on to raise awareness, they agreed. While their experience is unique, many farmers are enduring similar ordeals, sleepless nights, livestock lost to sudden secondary infections, and relentless uncertainty.

Heartbreaking Updates Through The Night

We were watching updates closely and realised things must have turned for the worse when we lost live contact with the Berkeymeyers for a few weeks. We were picking up voice notes and heartbreaking footage in the middle of the night or in the early hours of the morning, trying to keep up with rapid developments and the tragedy.

This is their story.

Hands-On Cattle Farming Before Sunrise

Waking up every day and moving out before sunrise, daily management on the Berkemeyers' farm is always uncompromising and completely hands-on. Their passion for farming is the stuff of legends. They have mastered cattle farming with a sharp sense of intuition and skill, building a solid reputation for their approach.

Late December 2025: Foot-And-Mouth Disease Spreads Into The Area

Life became even more intense after foot-and-mouth disease spread into the area in late December 2025. Within this tight-knit community, the Berkemeyers and other farmers in the area were actively trying to keep the virus back while waiting for the vaccine to arrive.

They did this by boosting cattle immunity, shifting herds, opening additional camps, and spreading cattle across larger areas, despite the added danger of cattle thieves.

The virus found its way.

By Late February 2026, Foot and Mouth Pierced Through Defences

By late February 2026, after holding it off, the first cattle went down a few farms away in the valley. Local farm groups lit up in the tight-knit community as the virus pierced through their defences. Inevitably, by May, it hit the Berkmeyers herd. As they were managing the disease, secondary infections set in, fuelled by an overnight cold snap, their first losses were felt.

The Berkemeyers fought hard, utilising vets, reporting to the state vet and trying a multitude of antibiotics and treatments. From the start sick cows were blanketed and moved gently close to the farm house. The area was also experiencing an unusual tick burden that was highly resistant to treatments. While managing these secondary infections, three weeks later two farms on their boundaries reported foot-and-mouth.

Secondary Infections and a Second Wave

The impact on the Berkemeyers herd was overwhelming as a second wave of foot-and-mouth disease struck the already weakened cattle. Concurrently, new secondary infections proved a death knell, ravaging their lives.

Tiger Heart And Anaplasmosis Confirmed After Emergency Autopsy

During this intense battle and what had become a high-care environment, being careful to avoid too much handling, a young calf had also suddenly died. Jennifer immediately took the carcass to the vet, where an emergency autopsy revealed Tiger Heart (named for the striped appearance that occurs in the heart muscle) combined with anaplasmosis, as the cause of death.

Hard Decisions in the Camps

Staying out in their camps into the dark and moving before first light, the Berkemeyers began walking a tightrope, forced to make the hardest decisions about when to end suffering. They made those decisions we all dread, knowing sometimes a quick death is the only choice.

Despite their heavy losses and utter exhaustion after many weeks, light eventually began to break through the dark, losses slowed and life began pushing back.

Vaccination Arrives After Months Of Loss

On the 5th June they received a call from the state vet. The technicians arrived on the 10th June to administer their surviving cattle's first dose of the vaccine.

Orphaned Calves And The Road Ahead

The farm is as busy as ever caring for a number of orphaned calves. Four feeds a day and many litres of milk, plus supplementary calf meal. The orphans are thriving under Jennifer's dedicated round-the-clock-care.

The Berkemeyers are due for their second vaccine in December 2026.

NOTES

At the time of writing, approximately 4.4 million cattle in South Africa have received their first foot-and-mouth disease vaccine dose. Of the remaining supply, 1.08 million doses were used as 28-day priming doses prioritised to mitigate national economic impact, with around 9.6 million cattle still awaiting initial vaccination.

For herds included in the broader rollout, the programme follows a two-dose schedule, with the second shot administered six months after the first.

In hotspot areas, this leaves a period of partial immunity before full protection is established, while vaccination continues under stretched veterinary capacity and uneven coverage.

The question remains whether farmers can bridge that gap under ongoing infection pressure.

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