Foot-and-mouth disease outbreak: UK bans livestock imports from Germany
14th January 2025
The UK government has announced a ban on cattle, pig and sheep imports from Germany following the confirmation of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the country.
Imports of cattle, pigs and sheep from Germany will now be banned to protect farmers and their livelihoods.
GB health certificates will no longer be issued for animals susceptible to FMD, including all live animals and fresh meat.
The UK chief veterinary officer is also urging livestock keepers to remain vigilant to the clinical signs of FMD following a confirmed case of the disease in Germany. There are currently no cases of the disease in the UK.
‘Maintain highest levels of vigilance and biosecurity’
FMD poses no risk to human or food safety, but is a highly contagious viral disease of cattle, sheep, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals. Livestock keepers should therefore be absolutely rigorous about their biosecurity.
FMD causes significant economic losses due to production losses in the affected animals as well as loss of access to foreign markets for animals, meat and milk for affected countries, Defra explained.
Clinical signs to be aware of vary depending on the animals, but in cattle the key signs are sores and blisters on the feet, mouth and tongue with potentially a fever, lameness and a reluctance to feed. In sheep and pigs, signs tend to manifest with lameness with potential for blistering.
Click here to learn more about the FMD symptoms.
Wales’ chief veterinary officer, Richard Irvine, has urged livestock keepers to maintain “the highest levels of vigilance and biosecurity”, and to practice the safe sourcing of livestock and germinal products to protect our herds and flocks, and keep animal disease out of Wales.
He added: “If you suspect foot-and-mouth disease, it is essential to report this immediately.”
Source of concern for livestock farmers
Commenting on the situation, Farmers’ Union of Wales president Ian Rickman said that the recent case of foot-and-mouth disease in Germany will be a “source of concern” for livestock farmers across Europe.
“The news will inevitably rekindle memories of the far-reaching impact the disease had on the agriculture sector and the countryside as a whole over two decades ago in 2001, and acts as a timely reminder of the importance of thorough checks at our borders so that this disease is not imported into the UK.
“We welcome the steps that have been initially pursued by German authorities, together with the decision by UK government to ban the import of cattle, pigs and sheep from Germany.
‘We will keep a close eye as the situation develops, and encourage livestock keepers to remain vigilant,” he concluded.
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