On Jan. 10, Germany confirmed its first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) since 1988. The outbreak was detected in a herd of water buffalo in the Märkisch-Oderland district of Brandenburg, near Berlin.
“Water buffalo, introduced to Germany in the 1990s, are farmed for milk, meat, and grassland maintenance,” according to a summary by the team at the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS). They prepared a summary of the current FMDV situation in Germany for the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) as part of the SHIC Global Swine Disease Monitoring Reports.
Here are some key points:
- Within the affected water buffalo herd, three infected buffalo died and the remaining herd of 11 animals was euthanized to contain the disease.
- Authorities have implemented strict control measures, including the establishment of a 3 km exclusion zone and a 10 km monitoring zone, and are conducting investigations to determine the source and route of the infection.
- Immediate actions included culling all susceptible animals within a 1 km radius, including a farm with 170 pigs and another location with 55 goats, sheep, and three cattle as a precaution.
- A transport ban for livestock was imposed across Brandenburg and later extended to Berlin, lasting at least 72 hours.
- Sampling of animals within a 3 km radius is ongoing to assess the outbreak’s spread.
Serotype O
The Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) identified the FMD virus as serotype O, a strain commonly found in the Middle East and Asia. Although, the exact route of entry remains unclear, the report says.
“The affected farm operates organically, using only its own hay for feed. The outbreak highlights the ongoing risk of FMD introduction into the EU through illegal trade and travel-related movement of animal products from FMD-endemic regions,” the report explains.
Germany, previously recognized as FMD-free along with the EU, has lost its status, triggering trade restrictions. Because of this, South Korea banned the import of German pork and quarantined 360 tons imported since December 27 for testing.
- At the Green Week Agricultural Fair in Berlin, cloven-hoofed animals were excluded to mitigate risks.
- In the Netherlands, 125 farms that recently imported calves from Brandenburg were ordered to suspend operations, and a nationwide standstill on calf transport was implemented until January 19.
- Veal calf imports from Brandenburg were also banned.
- Export to countries within the European Union’s single market is still possible for products that originate outside the restricted zones, under the principle of regionalization.
Germany’s FMD antigen bank, established for emergencies like this, holds serotype-specific vaccines and can produce them within days, the report says. Vaccines must be tailored precisely to the specific serotypen because vaccines against other strains are ineffective.
FMD affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. Not only is it highly contagious, but it also causes severe symptoms, including fever, painful blisters, reduced milk production and significant economic losses for farmers.
FMD poses no direct health risk to humans, but it’s important to note that they can act as carriers of the virus via contaminated clothing, shoes or equipment.
“Past outbreaks in Europe, such as those in the UK (2007) and Bulgaria (2011), resulted in extensive culling of livestock to control the disease,” the report says. “The current outbreak underscores the importance of biosecurity measures, rapid response and vigilance to protect agriculture and livestock from this economically devastating disease.”
Summary of New FMDV Strains into New Territories (2022 to date):
2022
Egypt: South American strains A/EURO-SA, and O/EURO-SA, were isolated from a batch of Egyptian samples tested by the World Reference Laboratory (WRLFMD).
Libya: FMD virus O/EA-3, a strain from East Africa was detected.
Iraq: FMD virus SAT2/XIV, closely related to viruses from Ethiopia was detected. It was observed to cause more severe clinical disease.
Jordan: FMD virus SAT2/XIV, closely related to viruses from Ethiopia was reported in the country.
Türkiye: FMD virus SAT2/XIV, was reported for the first time.
2023
Qatar: FMDV SAT1/I topotype, a virus with close sequence identity to a virus from Kenya was reported for the first time.
Algeria: Virus of the SAT2 topotype (SAT2/V) detected for the first time. Viruses from this lineage were last found in Ghana (1991), Togo (1990) and Ivory Coast (1990).
2024
Libya: A new incursion of FMDV O/EA-3 which is endemic to East Africa
Türkiye: Re-emergence of a virus strain originally from Iran, FMDV A/ASIA/Iran-05FAR-11
2025
Germany: Recurrence of FMD after 37 years. The National Reference Laboratory at the FLI confirmed the virus Serotype as type O, although the virus strain, origin, and route of entry into Germany are yet to be determined.
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