JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Lesotho's Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition has confirmed an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the northern part of the country.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, the outbreak was reported on Feb. 18 after veterinary authorities identified cattle showing clinical signs consistent with FMD at a cattle post in Mahlase, Botha-Bothe District, which borders South Africa's Free State Province.
"Laboratory tests conducted on 17 cattle confirmed that six tested positive for FMD antibodies," the statement said, adding that further samples have been sent to a reference laboratory of the World Organization for Animal Health in Botswana for virus typing and vaccine matching.
The affected cattle have been placed under strict quarantine, while neighboring cattle posts are under precautionary quarantine and active surveillance, it said.
The ministry urged livestock farmers, traders and the public to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspected cases of excessive salivation, lameness, mouth lesions or hoof lesions to the nearest veterinary office.
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and other cloven-hoofed animals.
Lesotho is a landlocked country in Southern Africa that is surrounded by South Africa. Earlier this month, the South African government declared the FMD outbreak nationwide a "national disaster." According to a recent report released by South Africa's Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy, a total of 24,400 FMD cases were reported in domestic livestock in the country in 2025.
It remains unclear whether the outbreak reported in Lesotho was linked to cross-border transmission from South Africa. ■