Statement on the current foot-and-mouth disease situation in Brandenburg

Statement on the current foot-and-mouth disease situation in Brandenburg

On January 10, 2025, the National Reference Laboratory for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) reported the detection of FMD in water buffalo from a herd in the district of Märkisch-Oderland in Brandenburg. FMD is a highly contagious, febrile viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs). Camels and many zoo and wild animals can also contract FMD. FMD is not dangerous for humans. There is no risk of infection for humans through the consumption of milk and meat. However, there are individual reports of rare infections in humans following intensive contact with diseased cloven-hoofed animals, which were characterized by benign and spontaneously healing diseases.

FMD is widespread in many countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and parts of South America. The pathogen, the FMD virus, is classified in the genus Aphthovirus within the virus family Picornaviridae and is divided into 7 serotypes and numerous subtypes. FMD virus of serotype O was detected in connection with the outbreak in Brandenburg. Closely related viruses are found in the Middle East and Asia. The exact origin and cause of the introduction of FMD into livestock in Brandenburg are not known.

The last FMD outbreak in the European Union occurred in Bulgaria in 2011. The last FMD outbreak in Germany before the outbreak detected in January 2025 was in 1988, meaning that after an absence of more than 35 years of this animal disease, Germany's status as "FMD-free" has now been suspended by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). An FMD outbreak always leads to transport bans and trade restrictions for animals and animal products, among other things, and therefore causes considerable economic losses.

In order to counteract the spread of FMD, protection and surveillance zones were set up, all 14 animals in the affected herd were killed, transportation bans were imposed and epidemiological investigations were carried out. In addition, the strategic FMD vaccination reserve was activated as a precautionary measure. This enables the production of a vaccine tailored to the current epidemic situation within a few working days on the basis of pre-produced and stored antigens. However, this does not mean that a decision has already been made to use the vaccine. An important criterion for the use of vaccines is the further spread of this animal disease after an outbreak has been detected.

In recent weeks, numerous samples of cloven-hoofed animals from the vicinity of the outbreak site in Brandenburg as well as from other federal states have been tested for FMD in order to detect a possible spread at an early stage. So far, all tests have shown negative results. There are therefore currently no indications of further cases of FMD in Brandenburg or of the spread of the animal disease in Germany (as at: 19.02.2025).

The current FMD outbreak illustrates the constant threat to domestic herds from well-known but now eradicated or newly emerging animal diseases and zoonoses. In the current case, the concept of a broad-based differential diagnostic clarification of unclear cases through close cooperation between the veterinary examination facilities of the federal states and the federal government meant that the outbreak could be quickly identified and contained by the professional action of the responsible authorities.

Commission on Zoonoses and Viral Infections of Animals

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