Information on the current animal disease situation can be found in the respective latest issue of the monthly newsletter Radar Bulletin (in German language).
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals (cattle, sheep, goats and pigs). Many zoo and wild animals can also suffer from FMD. In January 2025, an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) occurred in a herd of 14 buffalo in Brandenburg, marking a return to the disease after 37 years of freedom from FMD. Fortunately, this was the only outbreak in Germany, enabling the country to regain its 'FMD-free without vaccination' status from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) on 14 April 2025.
However, in March and April, several outbreaks of FMD occurred in Hungary and Slovakia. The virus detected there is not closely related to the one found in Brandenburg. The last cases of FMD were reported in Slovakia on 4 April and in Hungary on 17 April. There are currently no indications that the virus is still circulating in these countries.
FMD is still endemic in Turkey, the Middle East and Africa, many Asian countries and parts of South America. Illegally imported animal products from these countries pose a constant threat to European agriculture.
FMD is a purely animal disease and is not transmissible to humans, i.e. it is not a zoonosis.
The Friedrich Loeffler Institute was founded by its namesake to research FMD and began its work in 1910. Since then, the disease has been an integral part of the institute's research.
Last News of the FLI
In view of the critical animal health situation in Hungary and Slovakia, the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI) is urgently calling for laboratory testing to rule out foot-and-mouth disease in all clinically conspicuous cloven-hoofed animals in Germany.
Livestock owners, attending vets and official veterinarians must pay particular attention to cloven-hoofed animals for symptoms such as fever, salivation, lesions around the mouth and nose, on the teats and claws, and lameness. It is often not possible to rule out FMD with certainty on the basis of clinical signs alone! The only way to be sure is to follow up with a PCR test, which can be carried out in all provinces. For this purpose, lesion material (if available), mouth and nasal swabs and serum should be sent. If there is a clinical suspicion of bluetongue, an FMD exclusion test should also be carried out.
Since the beginning of March, two outbreaks of FMD in cattle have been reported in Hungary and five in Slovakia, involving several thousand animals. The route of infection is still unknown and investigations and control measures are ongoing.
At present, the disease is expected to spread further, with two outbreaks already close to the Austrian border, so restrictions and increased surveillance have already been ordered for smaller regions in Austria.
Germany is supporting both countries by providing vaccine. Some of the vaccine procured but not used following the outbreak in Brandenburg/Germany in January is now being used in Hungary and Slovakia.
The FMD virus can be transmitted over long distances, for example through contaminated food, so cases could occur at any time, even in regions far removed from the current outbreak. The FLI urges travellers not to bring raw dairy products or products containing undercooked meat from FMD-affected regions. In addition, all food waste must be disposed of properly so that animals do not have access to it.
The FMD viruses found in Hungary and Slovakia are of the same serotype, but are genetically distinct from the virus found in Brandenburg/Germany in January. In Brandenburg, the outbreak was confined to a single herd of 14 water buffalo and did not spread.
The outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in Hungary and Slovakia have affected large herds of cattle. (© FLI)
Nach dem Ausbruch der Maul- und Klauenseuche (MKS) in Brandenburg Anfang Januar 2025 wurde der Status „MKS-frei ohne Impfung“ der Weltorganisation für Tiergesundheit (WOAH) für Deutschland vorübergehend ausgesetzt. Der Ausbruch hatte für die gesamte Bundesrepublik weitreichende Konsequenzen für den Handel mit Klauentieren und Produkten dieser Tiere, denn zahlreiche Drittländer sperrten sofort das ganze Land für entsprechende Importe. Gestern erteilte die WOAH Deutschland wieder den MKS-Freiheitsstatus, abgesehen von einer weiterhin bestehenden kleinen Restriktionszone in der betroffenen Region Brandenburgs und einem Teil Berlins. Bis alle Drittländer ihre Handelsrestriktionen wieder aufheben, kann es allerdings noch geraume Zeit dauern. Dennoch ist die Entscheidung der WOAH als Erfolg und Anerkennung für die sehr erfolgreiche Bekämpfung des MKS-Ausbruch durch alle beteiligten Behörden zu sehen.
Am 7. März 2025 meldete Ungarn einen MKS-Ausbruch bei Rindern; die Tierseuche ist in der EU somit wieder präsent. Es handelt sich hier, wie in Deutschland, um ein MKS-Virus des Serotyps O. Die Viren sind jedoch genetisch klar unterschiedlich und es besteht kein epidemiologischer Zusammenhang zwischen den Ausbrüchen. Ungarn hat bereits 10.000 Dosen Impfstoff aus Deutschland erhalten, die aus dem vorsorglich für die Seuchenbekämpfung georderten Kontingent stammen. Es ist davon auszugehen, dass der von Deutschland beschaffte Serotyp-O-Impfstoff auch gegen das in Ungarn gefundene Virus wirksam ist.
Rind (© FLI )
Risk Assessment, 23.01.2025
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For Download
Risk Assessment to evaluate the infectivity of pasteurised milk for animals susceptible to FMD (PDF)
Insel Riems, 17 January 2025: Tests carried out at the National Reference Laboratory for Foot and Mouth Disease (NRLFMD) at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI) on a suspected case of foot-and-mouth disease in a goat from the district of Barnim have revealed no evidence of foot-and-mouth disease virus or specific antibodies. The samples were analysed overnight and confirmed negative this morning. Despite this good news, it is still important to test the herds in the surveillance zone so that rapid action can be taken in the event of a further infected animal.
Goats (© M. Pfau, FLI)
Insel Riems, 11. Januar 2025. The national reference laboratory at the FLI has detected the FMD virus serotype O in a water buffalo infected with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) from the district of Märkisch-Oderland. Closely related FMD viruses are found in the Middle East and Asia, but the exact origin and route of entry into livestock is still unknown, even though the serotype is known. Suitable vaccines against these viruses are available in the German FMD antigen bank. This FMD antigen bank was established specifically for cases such as the current outbreak. Once activated by the Länder, the FMD antigen bank can produce the necessary vaccines within a few days.
In addition to the production of the appropriate vaccine, it is now essential to test all cloven-hoofed animals in the vicinity of the affected farm to determine the actual spread of the outbreak. This will determine any further measures that may need to be taken, as well as whether and how to use a vaccine.
In the case of FMD, it is important that the vaccine is precisely matched, as vaccines against other serotypes do not protect animals. To date, seven serotypes are known: O, A, C, Asia 1, SAT1, SAT2 and SAT3, which are divided into numerous subtypes and strains.
Water buffalo (© pexels)
Insel Riems, 10. Januar 2025. The National Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) of the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) has confirmed an infection with the FMD virus in a water buffalo in Märkisch-Oderland, Brandenburg. The local authorities have taken control and protection measures. Further tests are being carried out at the FLI to determine the exact nature of the virus. An FLI team is supporting the outbreak investigation on the ground. FMD is a purely animal disease and cannot be transmitted to humans, i.e. it is not a zoonosis.
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals (cattle, sheep, goats and pigs). Many zoo and wild animals can also contract FMD. There are very strict international rules for the prevention and control of FMD. There is no treatment for infected animals. If even one animal on a farm is infected, all ungulates must be killed and destroyed.
The last outbreak of FMD in Germany was in Lower Saxony in 1988. The last outbreak in Europe was reported in Bulgaria in 2011. Prior to that, the United Kingdom was hit by a major FMD outbreak in 2001, followed by France, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The FMD virus remains endemic in Turkey, the Middle East and Africa, many Asian countries and parts of South America. Illegally imported animal products from these countries pose a constant threat to European agriculture.
Water buffalo (© PixaBay)