Foot and Mouth Disease Buffalo Protocol

The speaker welcomes the audience and outlines house rules for the workshop, including biosecurity measures and guidelines for questions and comments. It's noted the event started late to accommodate a large online audience, highlighting the urgency of the discussions.

South Africa is in a unique FMD situation, especially concerning African buffalo. Since 1996, there have been successful efforts to breed disease-free buffalo, leading to a significant industry valued at around 16 billion rand and supporting 500,000 people. These buffalo have been subjected to stringent quarantine and testing protocols.

FMD outbreaks began to escalate in May 2021, spreading across seven provinces by January 2023, and eventually affecting all provinces. The number of reported cases and outbreaks increased sharply, with over 24,000 cases and 450 outbreaks by the second half of 2025. This surge led to the realization that livestock now poses a threat to disease-free buffalo.

The initial national FMD strategy, announced in January 2025 and updated later, largely ignored the buffalo and game ranching industry. Its focus on blanket vaccinations was deemed insufficient for wildlife. This led to a new, intensified need for collaboration on ground level, focusing on empowering local vets and prioritizing prevention of spread to clean buffalo herds.

The wildlife group of the veterinary association developed a new FMD protocol to protect disease-free buffalo. This protocol provides guidance based on perceived risk in game ranching, offers options rather than rigid prescriptions, and empowers local vets and ranchers to create specific, viable prevention strategies. Key aspects include acknowledging that they are on their own and require cooperation, transparency, and reporting.

The protocol advocates for a paradigm shift in the relationship between ranchers and wildlife vets, focusing on disease control and protective measures. It acknowledges risk mitigation trade-offs, the need for novel approaches to reinfection, and the importance of good nutrition and healthy immune systems in buffalo and other high-value game species.

The protocol has four pillars: ring vaccinations of cattle based on risk, managing wildlife interfaces, biosecurity and movement control on game ranches, and addressing reinfections. The workshop aims to establish mutual understanding, consensus for collaboration, create a vet platform, scrutinize the protocol's concepts, seek solutions within current restrictions, and agree on a way forward, including establishing a joint working group and a research entity.

Dr. Emma Rambert reports on the FMD situation in the Northern Cape. Initially, there were no confirmed cases, but this changed recently with an outbreak in Kuruman. Issues include discrepancies in buffalo farm registrations, lacking communication with state vets, and non-existent movement control. Efforts are being made to improve communication and set up wildlife control protocols.

Dr. Gary Bower reports 28 confirmed and 75 clinically suspected FMD outbreaks in the Eastern Cape. Movement control is largely non-existent, except for private farmer initiatives with police. No buffalo herds are known to be reinfected, emphasizing the responsibility to maintain FMD-free status, particularly for the Ado Elephant National Park herd.

Villam Vimburgger highlights few buffalo holdings in the Western Cape, with the main threat from dairy farms. Outbreaks started in November last year, with a strong suspicion of drought relief feed from the Free State as the source. The Western Cape has a coordinated multi-agency strategy, and communication and synergy are key.

Dr. Mike to from Kwazulu-Natal (read by Eric) describes KZN as the FMD epicenter, with all districts reporting cases. Wildlife cases are suspected but unconfirmed. Disease-free buffalo herds are few and concentrated. Biosecurity levels in reserves are often inadequate, and movement control is non-existent. A national vaccination strategy is awaited, with reports suggesting slower spread in vaccinated areas.

Shaun outlines a dire FMD situation in the Northwest Province, with 110 active outbreaks. Movement control is ineffective, with illegal cattle movement rampant. Many game reserves bordering communal lands are at high risk, and provincial authorities show little interest in prevention. Local initiatives, like disinfections at Madikwe, are in place, but overall, the picture for game farmers is very dark.

Ampy highlights that disease-free buffalo currently play no role in FMD spread, and the actual outbreak maps are often outdated. Hendrick then discusses the situation in the Bella Bella area, characterized by many positive cases, especially in communal farming areas with uncontrolled cattle movement. He emphasizes the need for permits to import vaccines for mass vaccination.

Dr. Linmarie Decler from Kruger National Park explains the Buffalo connection to FMD. SAT strains are buffalo-adapted, with buffalo acting as natural definitive, asymptomatic carriers. Young buffalo quickly become serologically positive. Her research shows constant evolution of SAT viruses within buffalo populations but no direct link to current FMD outbreaks in cattle, suggesting spillback from cattle to wildlife is now a significant issue.

Linmarie discusses if buffalo can clear FMD infections, presenting a case where buffalo bulls lost serological competence over time. Her research suggests SAT 2 is a weaker virus in buffalo and less persistent. She also emphasizes legal responsibilities of landowners to prevent infection, maintain biosecurity (fences, PPE), and report suspected cases. The existing VPN and farm registration procedures need adherence.

Dr. David Gerber introduces Dunwax, a company founded to address FMD vaccine needs in Southern Africa, in collaboration with Dolvet. He emphasizes that vaccines are a crucial part of the solution, capable of being region-specific for different FMD pools. He highlights Dolvet's advanced, automated production facilities and their range of highly purified oil-based and water-based vaccines.

David discusses the need for testing vaccine efficacy against current South African FMD strains, noting that existing data from other Pool 6 strains looks promising. He expresses a strong desire for transparency, proposing to publish details of Section 21 applications. He criticizes the current slow import permit process and the lack of scientific evidence for vaccine effectiveness locally. He advocates for testing vaccinated animals and sending samples to Perbrite for robust results.

David unveils a proposed system using QR codes and Buffalo Analytics to track vaccine distribution and usage. This system would allow real-time monitoring of where vaccines are used, enhancing transparency for government and providing valuable data for disease management. He emphasizes the company's commitment to delivering vaccines at a transparent and competitive price, directly to users, without unnecessary intermediaries, but faces challenges with regulatory bodies favoring centralized distribution.

David discusses the strategic application of FMD vaccines, emphasizing that decisions should be made by scientists and veterinarians, not politicians or farmers. He advocates for a public-private partnership in vaccination efforts. He questions vaccinating disease-free buffalo given their carrier status, but suggests controlled trials on specific farms with high FMD pressure. He also emphasizes immediate post-vaccination surveillance to verify vaccine effectiveness.

David Ptorius outlines three key control measures: surveillance, vaccination, and movement control. Surveillance, like a 'lookout tower,' provides a bird's-eye view, with Buffalo Analytics facilitating real-time updates and risk notifications. Vaccination aims to create an 'immunological barrier' around outbreaks, comparable to firebreaks, prioritizing areas with high animal density, valuable stud animals, or high pathology risk. Movement control needs to be smart and data-driven to stop disease spread, as the virus dictates the rules, not humans.

Gary Bower (presenting for Richard Burrows) emphasizes biosecurity to protect buffalo. Most FMD knowledge comes from endemic areas, with warthogs and kudu identified as potential vectors, capable of bridging fences and sharing resources. Biosecurity measures adjust with increasing risk, from daily routines to emergency plans. He stresses the need for strict protocols for people, vehicles, equipment, and feed to prevent disease ingress. The importance of education, planning, and recording is also highlighted, urging collaboration and neighborly cooperation against the FMD threat.

Ampy highlights the importance of decentralizing power to local communities and empowering ground-level vets to combat FMD effectively. He showcases the Matlaba’s Custodians group, a well-organized network spanning 2 million hectares, using existing structures like farm watch and camera networks for rapid response and movement control. He stresses that private vets are most effective when advising, training, and influencing, rather than enforcing, and emphasizes the crucial role of physical meetings for community engagement and compliance.

Ampy discusses the unique position of buffalo ranching, asserting that disease-free buffalo do not contribute to FMD spread due to strict quarantine and testing. He emphasizes external problems like poor state disease control, uncontrolled cattle movement, and regulatory and laboratory constraints. Internal problems include illegal buffalo movement, poorly maintained fencing, and the presence of cattle on buffalo farms. He advocates for maintaining industry credibility by adhering to rules and standards.

Ampy highlights the regulatory asymmetry where buffalo owners face high burdens and no compensation, despite being a low-risk, high-biosecurity sector. He concludes that disease-free buffalo are penalized due to species identity, leading to economic harm. Eric then discusses moving beyond the current 'stamping out' policy for infected buffalo, exploring alternatives, and pushing for new research ideas. He questions the applicability of endemic buffalo findings to isolated, disease-free herds and examines the potential of vaccines for buffalo.

Eric emphasizes critical considerations for buffalo, including maintaining their quarantined status, the reversed FMD risk from domestic livestock, and the need to re-evaluate assumptions about FMD in isolated buffalo herds. He advocates for exploring the use of vaccines and developing enhanced research and surveillance methods, referencing the success of the Brucellosis research ranch. He proposes a collaborative research unit involving ranchers, vets, and academics to drive these initiatives, stressing that this chaotic period presents an opportunity for innovative solutions.

The panel discusses the way forward, focusing on the FMD protocol, establishing a collaborative platform, and initiating research. Alex highlights the need for the buffalo industry to be self-regulatory, akin to the thoroughbred industry, and praises Buffalo Analytics for enabling this. He argues that vets and farmers need to be more organized and vocal, while Hine emphasizes learning from past efforts to collaborate with and support state vets.

Alex reiterates the frustration with the current system's inability to support the industry effectively and questions how to operate outside of a dysfunctional regulatory framework. Hendrick emphasizes three critical points: obtaining vaccines, changing the VPN in the medium term, and long-term research projects. The discussion highlights the urgent need for legal vaccine imports and the importance of ring vaccination.

Alex emphasizes the power of data in influencing decision-making, suggesting a 'parallel' approach where the industry gathers its own data (e.g., passive surveillance) while continuing to engage with the state. He argues that this bottom-up approach, using platforms like Buffalo Analytics, can strengthen the industry's position. David clarifies that Buffalo Analytics provides a technical solution for data collection and tracing but the drive and organization must come from the industry itself.

The discussion continues on the need for a unified organizational structure for buffalo ranchers. Participants agree that collective action is essential for effective advocacy and decision-making regarding FMD. Gary Bower emphasizes the critical need to secure vaccines for ring vaccination around buffalo herds, highlighting its importance for both buffalo and the wider livestock industry. The panel concludes by stressing the urgency of data collection via Buffalo Analytics to support these efforts.

The panel concludes by underscoring the immediate need for buffalo ranchers to provide their data to Buffalo Analytics. This data is crucial for assessing risk, advocating for vaccine allocation, and strengthening the industry's position. The consensus emphasizes collaboration, ring vaccination, and updating VPN as priorities, with the call for ranchers to organize effectively to drive these initiatives forward.