Berlin [Germany], January 17: Germany's eastern state of Brandenburg Brandenburg near the border with Poland has reported another case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), officials confirmed on Thursday.
A spokesperson for the Barnim district told local media that the affected animal had been culled to prevent further spread of the disease.
Earlier this month, on Jan. 10, the Maerkisch-Oderland district of Brandenburg reported an FMD outbreak among several buffalo, marking the first of such cases in Germany since 1988. Authorities responded by culling all cloven-hoofed animals within a 1 km radius of the affected site, setting up restricted zones, and imposing movement controls on susceptible livestock.
The proximity of that outbreak to the Berlin Zoo - only about 10 km - prompted a temporary closure of the facility as a precautionary measure.
German media, citing the German Farmers' Association, suggested that the FMD virus might have entered the country around Christmas.
According to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the outbreak has triggered strict export restrictions on German meat and dairy products to non-EU countries.
Joachim Rukwied, president of the German Farmers' Association, warned of significant economic repercussions for the agriculture and food sectors following these measures.
Rukwied pointed out that Germany's annual exports of these goods to Britain are valued at 850 million euros (about 880 U.S. dollars). However, the British government has imposed an import ban on German cattle, pigs, sheep, and fresh meat products.
Mexico and South Korea have enacted similar bans while neighboring Poland has tightened border controls and regulations on transporting susceptible animals.
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease primarily affecting cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, and pigs. Symptoms include fever, blisters, and ulcers on the animal's mouth and hooves. While human infection is rare, prolonged contact with infected animals poses a minor risk of transmission.
Germany's last widespread vaccination campaign against FMD ended in 1991 after Europe eradicated native FMD strains of the disease. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture confirmed that Germany has now dropped from the "free of FMD without vaccination" list recognized by the World Organisation for Animal Health.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
