As China records its first ever detection of the SAT 1 variant of the foot-and-month disease (FMD), further cases are confirmed in the Palestinian territories, Europe and southern Africa.
Responding to the recent spread of the SAT 1 serotype beyond its historical range in Africa, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has issued a warning to member countries to remain vigilant and take action to prevent the spread of the virus.
The disease poses a serious and evolving threat, according to the agency, with the potential to impact adversely the health and welfare of animals, food security, livelihoods and international trade. WOAH members are obliged to report outbreaks of listed diseases such as FMD in a transparent, timely and accurate way. To do so effectively, countries need to have effective early warning and surveillance systems in place, as well as continuous risk monitoring.
China reports SAT 1 strain for the first time
In recent days, the authorities in the People’s Republic of China have notified WOAH about the country’s first ever detection of the SAT 1 FMD virus strain.
Approximately 140 cases were identified among 513 cattle at a livestock market in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China’s northwest at the end of March. All the animals are reported to have been culled to prevent further spread of the infection.
The market appears to be within 100 kilometers of the border with Kazakhstan. Source of the virus is unknown, according to the WOAH report.
Within the Central Asia region, China and other countries are making every effort to contain the outbreak, reports Kursiv Media. As well as mounting losses of livestock, the wider disruption of regional trade are feared as cases were also suspected in China’s Gansu province.
Authorities have introduced a series of emergency measures, including culling, animal movement restrictions and vaccination. However, the source cites additional challenges to disease control in the form of largely unregulated animal movements across borders in the region, and limited efficacy of standard FMD vaccines against the SAT 1 virus strain.
In a recent update on the disease situation from Kursiv Media, the Kazakh authorities have refuted claims that the virus spread to China from Kazakhstan. While disease controls have been strengthened in the border areas, no cases of SAT 1 infection have been reported to date in Kazakhstan.
Reports from Russia refer to two FMD outbreaks in the Chinese regions of Xinjiang and Gansu, and more than 200 confirmed infections among more than 6,200 cattle.
Since February, more than 90,000 cattle in the Altai region of Russia have been culled, according to The Moscow Times. The report states that the Russian authorities did not identify a specific cause of the disease or the need to cull on this scale.
The Siberian republic of Altai, Altai region, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Xinjiang share boundaries in this part of Central Asia.
In 2025, three FMD outbreaks in China’s cattle population were reported to WOAH. Of these, two involved the O virus serotype, while the variant could not be identified at the third location.
Cyprus: more FMD outbreaks, pig farm affected
Over the past two weeks, WOAH has been notified by the veterinary authority in Cyprus of a further 35 outbreaks, all linked to the SAT 1 virus serotype.
While the majority of the outbreaks to date have involved herds of cattle, sheep and/or goats, first cases in the island’s domestic swine were identified this week. Affected was a farm with approximately 4,000 pigs in the Nicosia area, where four animals showed symptoms of infection.
Since the first ever Cypriot SAT 1 cases were recorded two months ago, 85 outbreaks have been reported to WOAH. There have been 1,360 cases among approximately 41,800 domestic animals. More than 32,000 have been culled.
Also in southeastern Europe, further FMD outbreaks linked to the SAT 1 virus variant have been logged with WOAH by the authorities in Greece.
The most recent five outbreaks included one confirmed case in cattle and 155 in sheep.
After a hiatus of more than 30 years, FMD re-emerged in Greece in mid-March. Since then, around 440 cases — mainly in sheep — have been reported at 22 farms. All affected premises to date have been on the island of Lesbos (Lesvos).
FMD global situation
In the Palestinian territories, the SAT 1 virus was detected for the first time on March 20.
Since then, animals have tested positive for the virus at two locations in the West Bank — one village and one farm. Most of the cases so far have been in sheep, but also some goats and cattle.
In southern Africa, the same virus serotype has been detected for the first time in recent months in Botswana and Zambia.
In Botswana, this represented a reoccurrence since 2022 in the North East area, where seven outbreaks have been confirmed since January. Meanwhile, in the Southern region, the virus has been detected for the first time in seven cattle herds, starting at the end of March. Vaccination is being carried out in both areas to control the disease.
Illegal movements of animals and/or new introductions were blamed for the emergence of the SAT 1 FMD virus in Zambia in early February, according to the recent WOAH notification. Cases were detected in a herd of approximately 3,000 cattle, and 34,000 animals were reported to have been vaccinated.
Five further FMD outbreaks have been confirmed in cattle in Lesotho. In this country in the same region, individual outbreaks have each involved small numbers of animals, and the virus has not been fully identified.
After a hiatus of approximately one-and-a-half years, the SAT 1 FMD virus was detected again in South Africa in October 2025.
To date, animals have tested positive for this virus variant at 24 locations, based on WOAH reports. Affected have been 1.98 million cattle, and 10,000 domestic pigs at one farm.
Meanwhile, the SAT 2 virus serotype re-emerged in South Africa almost five years ago, and has now been detected at 1,476 locations. This includes 185 outbreaks in the most recent notification to WOAH, which covers the period from early February to early April. Affected during this time have been 112,000 cattle and more than 6,000 pigs.
More on FMD
Affecting cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals, the disease is caused by a highly contagious virus, according to the WOAH FMD page. It is a listed disease, requiring national authorities to notify WOAH about cases.
While it presents no direct threat to human health, FMD has significant economic impacts, through mortality and morbidity of infected animals, and the disruption of regional and international trade.
Cause of the disease is an aphthovirus of the Picornaviridae family. Seven different virus serotypes have been identified — A, O, C, SAT 1, SAT 2, SAT 3, and Asia1. Each one requires a specific vaccine to provide effective immunity.
