Three water buffaloes dead Foot-and-mouth disease has broken out in Germany
The pathogen is highly contagious for certain animal species such as cattle: an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed in Brandenburg.
10.01.2025, 12:08
dpa
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- An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been detected in the German state of Brandenburg for the first time since 1988.
- Three water buffalo in Brandenburg's Märkisch-Oderland region have died and the entire herd is being killed as a precautionary measure. The pathogen is not dangerous to humans.
- The last outbreak of FMD in Switzerland was almost 45 years ago.
For the first time in decades, there has been an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Germany. Three water buffaloes in the Brandenburg district of Märkisch-Oderland have died of the disease, as state Agriculture Minister Hanka Mittelstädt (SPD) said this morning in Potsdam. The virus is not dangerous for humans.
According to the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Germany and the EU had been considered free of FMD for several years. The last cases in Germany occurred in 1988. According to Schweizer Bauer, the last outbreak in Switzerland was in 1980.
The district of Märkisch-Oderland is working with specialists to investigate the cause of the disease, the report continued. The livestock is currently being killed and disposed of, said Mittelstädt.
Highly contagious for animals, devastating for agriculture
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease in cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. Many zoo and wild animals can also fall ill.
According to the FLI, FMD occurs regularly in Turkey, the Middle East and Africa, in many Asian countries and in parts of South America. "Illegally imported animal products from these countries pose a constant threat to European agriculture." In 2001, for example, there was a devastating outbreak in Great Britain with subsequent outbreaks in other European countries, according to FLI information.
The disease is not fatal in most adult animals, but leads to a long-lasting drop in performance. There are no treatment options. If even one animal on a farm falls ill, the entire herd is killed as a precautionary measure.
