Germany Regains FMD Free Status

Germany Regains Foot-and-Mouth Disease-Free Status

Germany has regained its status as free of foot-and-mouth disease in most areas, paving the way for the lifting of export restrictions on meat and dairy products, according to the country’s agriculture ministry. The announcement follows Germany’s first outbreak of the disease in nearly 40 years, which was confirmed on January 10 in a herd of water buffalo near Berlin in the Brandenburg region.

The outbreak has remained limited to a single case, with no further reports since. While the source of the infection is still unknown, most domestic restrictions have already been lifted. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has accepted Germany’s application to be declared free of foot-and-mouth disease in most regions. As of March 12, all of Germany, except for a small containment zone around the original case, has been declared foot-and-mouth-free.

This development is expected to enable the lifting of export restrictions on German meat and dairy products, benefiting the country’s agricultural exports.