Foot and mouth disease detected in Germany

14 January 2025

An image showing a bull

On 10 January 2025, three water buffalo in the district of Märkisch-Oderland in Germany tested positive for Food and Mouth Disease (FMD).

What is FMD?

FMD is a highly contagious viral disease of cattle, sheep, pigs and other cloven hoofed animals. Cattle with FMD may develop sores and blisters, and have a fever, shivering, lameness and may produce less milk. Sheep and pigs rarely develop blisters, and lameness is the main sign of the disease.

FMD causes significant economic losses, due to production losses in the affected animals and the loss of access to foreign markets for animals, meat and milk for affected countries.

FMD does not pose a food safety risk and does not affect humans. 

FMD occurs in the Middle East and Africa, alongside some Asian and South American countries. 

The German Federal Research Institute for Animal Health and the national reference laboratory at the Friedrich Loffler Institute (FLI), has confirmed FMD virus serotype O in water buffalo. 3 animals in the herd of 14 tested positive. Reports suggest that the three extensively grazed animals were found dead.

This the country’s first FMD outbreak in nearly 40 years.

How were the animals infected?

German authorities do not yet know when they became infected our how. The animals had been on the same holding for a long time. The German authorities are conducting the relevant investigations to find out the origin of the infection. 

What precautions have the German authorities taken?

The remaining 11 animals in the herd were culled. Around 200 pigs in neighbouring pig farm have also been culled, and press reports outline that authorities in potentially affected farms are being culled as a precautionary measure.

A 3km exclusion zone and a 10km surveillance zone have been put in place around the infected premises, and the German authorities are slaughtering all susceptible livestock within 1km, including wild boar within 1km of the infected premises. Additionally, no animals or their products can be taken out of this area.

Germany has announced a 6 day stop of livestock transport for animals that transmit the disease.

What precautions have other countries taken?

136 farms in the Netherlands imported calves from Brandenburg since 1 December 2024. As a result, the Dutch Government has locked down all Dutch veal calf producers until the 19th of January 2025 and the farms with the imported calves are under surveillance.

Trade implications

Germany has lost its free status from foot-and-mouth disease under World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) so cannot export live animals or products of animal origin, including meat or dairy (from susceptible species). Ruminant livestock movements were already stopped because of Bluetongue, although this previous stoppage did not apply to live pigs as they are not susceptible to Bluetongue. 

The situation in the UK

The UK has suspended imports of the following commodities from FMD-susceptible animals from the whole territory of Germany:

  • Live ungulates 
  • Ruminant and porcine germplasm
  • Fresh meat of ungulates
  • Meat products that have not been subject to at least heat treatment D1.
  • Raw and pasteurised milk and raw and pasteurised milk products (including colostrum)

The last FMD outbreak in Great Britain was in 2007. 

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