• German authorities confirmed the country’s first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in nearly 40 years in a herd of water buffalo in Brandenburg, north of Berlin.

• While the FMD virus is not considered a public health problem, it is crucial for animal health due to its easy transmission and the significant economic impact it can have.

• Foot-and-mouth disease causes fever and mouth blisters in cloven-hoofed ruminants such as cattle, swine, sheep and goats.

• Germany and the European Union are officially recognised as being free of the disease. 

• The last cases in Germany occurred in 1988, according to the FLI animal health research institute.

• The FLI said the disease occurs regularly in the Middle East and Africa, in many Asian countries and in parts of South America.

• Disease control restrictions have been established by the German authorities including the culling of infected animals and the establishment of disease control zones. 

• An exclusion zone of 3 kilometres and a monitoring zone of 10 kilometres have been set up, and no more products or animals may be taken out of these zones.

• Local authorities are investigating how the animals became infected, but there are no plans for measures at the federal or international level.

• South Korea and Mexico had told Berlin they would halt pork imports from Germany while the cases were being contained.

• FMD is a disease of animals, not humans and is a different disease than hand, foot, and mouth disease which is common in young children. 

What is foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)?

• Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of livestock that has a significant economic impact. The disease affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats and other cloven-hoofed ruminants.

• The organism which causes FMD is an aphthovirus of the family Picornaviridae. There are seven strains (A, O, C, SAT1, SAT2, SAT3, and Asia1) which are endemic in different countries worldwide. Each strain requires a specific vaccine to provide immunity to a vaccinated animal.

• All seven of the serotypes have also been found in wildlife, although the latter does not play a significant role in the maintenance of the disease.

• FMD is characterised by fever and blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and between the hooves. 

• The disease causes severe production losses, and while the majority of affected animals recover, the disease often leaves them weakened and debilitated.

• FMD is found in all excretions and secretions from infected animals. Notably, these animals breathe out a large amount of aerosolised virus, which can infect other animals via the respiratory or oral routes. The virus may be present in milk and semen for up to four days before the animal shows clinical signs of disease.

• Intensively reared animals are more susceptible to the disease than traditional breeds. 

• The disease is rarely fatal, except in the case of very young animals, which may die without showing any symptoms. Exceptionally, a severe form of the disease may cause sudden deaths among older stock.

• The after-effects of FMD are serious. Affected animals lose condition and secondary bacterial infections may prolong convalescence. The most serious effects of the disease however are seen in dairy cattle. Loss of milk yield will certainly be experienced. 

• FMD is endemic in several parts of Asia and in most of Africa and the Middle East. Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Central and North America, and continental Western Europe are currently free of FMD. However, FMD is a transboundary animal disease that can occur sporadically in any typically free area.

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