World Organisation for Animal Health Reports Recurrence of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Germany

This is the first detection of FMD in Germany since January 31, 1988.

The World Organisation for Animal Health’s World Animal Health Information System has reported  (1/10/2025)  that a case of foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed in Germany, the first in nearly 40 years. See the WOAH posting here.

According to a Reuters news report, FMD was found in a herd of water buffalo on the outskirts of Berlin and affected animals have been euthanized. “An exclusion zone of 3 kilometres and a monitoring zone of 10 kilometres have been set up, and no more products or animals may be taken out of these zones, said a federal agricultural ministry spokesperson at a regular government news conference. Local authorities are investigating how the animals became infected, but there are no plans for measures at the federal or international level, the spokesperson added,” wrote Reuters.

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service information on FMD can be found here. The USDA APHIS site reads, “Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a severe, fast-spreading viral disease that primarily affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cows, pigs, sheep, goats, and deer.

“FMD is one of the most challenging animal diseases to control. Although most infected animals survive, they’re left weak and unable to produce the level of meat and milk prior to infection. FMD was first discovered in the United States in 1870 and eradicated in 1929.

SHIC is actively monitoring the situation in Germany and providing updates as warranted to our stakeholders.