Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Germany

The Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in Germany is still confined to just one case. The virus reappeared in the country after nearly 40 years, when in early January 2025, 3 dead water buffalo tested positive on a farm 20 kilometres from Berlin (in Hoppegarten, Brandenburg). As a precaution, all other 11 water buffalo on the organic farm were culled, as well as animals on farms within a 1 km radius, which included 170 pigs. A week later there was panic that the virus may have emerged at a 2nd location in a nearby goat farm, but tests revealed that samples tested negative for FMD virus.

In the Barnim district, about 15 km from the location of the outbreak, goats on a hobby farm had been found with blisters in their mouths. Those animals were culled on Wednesday. The German reference lab, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, reported on Friday morning that the animals did not carry the virus nor had antibodies against FMD virus.

Cem Özdemir, Germany’s federal minister of agriculture, was quoted to be upbeat about the fact that no further spread was demonstrated, but emphasised to continue being vigilant. He told the radio station Deutschlandfunk: “Germany isn’t free of FMD.” However, there is nothing to prevent milk and meat products from being sold outside of the restricted zones, he emphasised.

The country was seeking crisis aid for farmers from the EU and was also in talks with its finance ministry, he said.

Pig prices in the country have stabilised as fears subsided that foot-and-mouth disease would spread, while the EU has indicated that German meat and dairy product sales outside the region containing the case could continue.

Some emergency measures to restrict spread of the highly infectious disease, which poses no danger to humans, were lifted but quarantine zones remain in force.

Measures to contain the disease often involve bans on imports of meat and dairy products from affected countries. The UK, South Korea and Mexico imposed import bans on Germany, with the British decision causing pain to Germany’s livestock sector.

German animal disease research institute Friedrich Loeffler has said th