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.