On 10 January 2025, an outbreak of FMD was officially detected in a cattle farm in the district of Märkisch-Oderland in Brandenburg. FMD is a highly contagious, acute, febrile viral disease that can be transmitted through equipment, animal products and the air. It can affect all cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, red deer, roe deer and fallow deer and spreads very quickly. In infected animals, blisters form on the inner surfaces of the lips, the gum line, claws and teats, among other places, causing considerable pain. As a result, the animals become lame and refuse to eat, which makes them increasingly weak. In lactating animals, lactation performance declines rapidly. In addition to the formation of aphthae on the mucous membranes, the animals may also produce a characteristic profuse flow of saliva.
As a result of this outbreak, measures were introduced and restriction zones formed to contain the disease.
The consequences of the disease outbreak are also being felt outside the restriction zones. The outbreak of this animal disease has resulted in the Federal Republic of Germany losing its "FMD-free" status, which has considerable economic consequences, as susceptible animals and their products are no longer being purchased by many exporting countries.
Apart from FMD, the current development of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI - avian influenza) must also be kept in mind. The Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) classifies the risk of HPAI subtype H5 entering German poultry farms and bird flocks in zoological facilities through direct and indirect contact with wild birds as high.
All livestock owners are required to constantly monitor their biosecurity measures. In particular, access to the premises by external persons must be regulated and minimised. It is recommended to install suitable disinfection facilities before entering the farm premises. Contact with animals from outside the company and wild animals must be kept to a minimum.
In the event of abnormalities in your livestock, the livestock veterinarian and the Office for Health and Consumer Protection of the district of Börde must be consulted.
Up-to-date information can be found on the FLI website at https://www.fli.de/de/aktuelles/tierseuchengeschehen/ and on the website of the Saxony-Anhalt Animal Disease Insurance Fund at https://www.tskst.de/index.php/de/Ueber-uns/service3/aktuelles.
If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the staff of the Office of Health and Consumer Protection, Veterinary Department, on 03904-7240 4318.