ARC FMD Samples Pirbright South Africa: Submissions Halted After 11 Samples

• South Africa's Agricultural Research Council (ARC) has not submitted foot and mouth disease (FMD) samples to the international reference laboratory, Pirbright Institute, since January.
• This cessation follows an initial submission of 11 samples in January, the first since 2011, despite the current FMD epidemic beginning in 2019 or 2020.
• Farmers express alarm over a perceived conflict of interest, as the ARC is developing its own vaccine production capabilities while also being responsible for providing data essential for other manufacturers to match vaccines to circulating strains.
• Despite the ongoing worst-ever FMD epidemic, the ARC is projected to lack the capacity to produce sufficient vaccine doses for South Africa's 12-14 million cattle for at least two years.
• An optimal strategy to control the epidemic would require 25 million vaccine doses annually, far exceeding the ARC's potential output, necessitating continued reliance on major international suppliers.

Farmers are raising significant concerns about a potential conflict of interest within the Agricultural Research Council, which is attempting to become a vaccine producer while simultaneously holding the responsibility for collecting crucial data needed by other FMD vaccine manufacturers.

South Africa has ceased sending crucial foot and mouth disease (FMD) samples to the Pirbright Institute in the United Kingdom since January, creating a significant gap in international disease surveillance. The Pirbright Institute, recognized globally as the reference laboratory for FMD, plays a vital role in analyzing these samples, publishing findings, and conducting vaccine matching to assess the efficacy of FMD vaccines against currently circulating strains. This process is essential for manufacturers to adapt and update their vaccines for optimal effectiveness.

The cessation follows an initial, albeit limited, resumption of submissions. In January, the Agricultural Research Council's (ARC) veterinary research campus in Onderstepoort dispatched 11 samples to Pirbright. This marked the first time South Africa had sent samples since 2011, despite the current FMD epidemic having commenced in either 2019 or 2020. The initial submission was publicly announced by then-Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, signaling a renewed commitment to international collaboration.

Pirbright subsequently analyzed these 11 samples, publishing their findings in its first quarterly report of 2026. However, its second quarterly report, released last week, contained no descriptions of new samples originating from South Africa. Inquiries directed to the ARC confirmed that no further samples have been transmitted to Pirbright since the January consignment, a development that has drawn sharp criticism from the agricultural community.

Farmers battling the FMD epidemic are expressing profound dissatisfaction with the current situation, arguing that the lack of ongoing sample submission is inadequate given the severity of the outbreak. Andrew Morphew, a dairy farmer in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and spokesperson for FMD Response SA, a coalition of affected farmers, voiced significant apprehension regarding a potential conflict of interest within the Agricultural Research Council. Morphew highlights that the ARC is actively pursuing vaccine production capabilities while simultaneously holding the responsibility for collecting critical data that other FMD vaccine manufacturers require for their products.

This concern is echoed by Friedl von Maltitz, a cattle farmer from Ficksburg in the Free State, who emphasized that the ARC is unlikely to possess the capacity to produce a sufficient quantity of FMD vaccines for the entire country for at least the next two years. South Africa, home to an estimated 12 to 14 million cattle, is currently experiencing its most severe FMD epidemic in history. While existing vaccines are effective, their efficacy is not absolute, underscoring the importance of widespread vaccination to reduce viral circulation and slow disease progression.

To effectively control the epidemic, Morphew, alongside numerous other farmers, veterinarians, and scientists, advocates for a strategy involving the vaccination of as many cattle as possible over a 30 to 60-day period, twice annually, for the foreseeable future. This approach is designed to optimally reduce the amount of circulating virus, but it would necessitate an annual supply of 25 million vaccine doses. Additional complexities include the requirement for a booster dose approximately one month after initial vaccination for previously unvaccinated animals, and suggestions from some veterinary experts to extend vaccination to all cloven-hoofed farm animals, such as sheep, goats, and pigs. With over 20 million sheep in the country, such an expansion would dramatically increase the required vaccine volume.

Currently, the majority of FMD vaccines are imported from two primary international suppliers: Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina and Dollvet in Turkey. These companies are reportedly capable of producing ample doses to meet South Africa's cattle vaccination needs. Significant progress has been made on this front, with Minister Willie Aucamp, the current Minister of Agriculture, confirming earlier this month that 23 million vaccines have been imported. Furthermore, almost the entire national dairy herd, comprising over one million cows, has received at least one vaccination this year.

While the ARC commenced its own vaccine production this year after more than two decades, a development that might appear positive, it underpins the concerns raised by farmers like Maltitz and Morphew. Even under the most optimistic projections, the ARC's production capacity is far too limited to meet the country's demand, positioning it as a significantly smaller producer compared to international giants like Biogénesis and Dollvet. This disparity underscores the continued necessity for imported vaccines to be regularly matched against and adapted for the specific FMD strains circulating within South Africa, a process critically dependent on the very sample submissions that have now ceased.

Lawyers advising agricultural clients in South Africa should monitor the ongoing FMD epidemic and the Agricultural Research Council's vaccine strategy, as this situation may lead to trade restrictions, compliance challenges related to biosecurity, and potential liability for affected businesses. The alleged conflict of interest within the ARC could also be relevant for administrative law or regulatory compliance assessments.

Source: Original reporting on South Africa's FMD response.