The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is investigating whether animals have been imported from a region in Germany where foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been identified. This was reported by Minister Wiersma of Agriculture in a parliamentary letter.
It was revealed today that FMD has been detected in Germany for the first time in decades. Three water buffaloes have died from the disease at a farm in Hönow, about 20 kilometers from Berlin in the state of Brandenburg.
Minister Wiersma stated that the NVWA immediately checked whether animals were directly moved from that area to the Netherlands. While this does not seem to be the case, there are indications that animals may have been indirectly imported from the area.
If confirmed, the Dutch companies that imported these animals will be blocked and further investigated. Wiersma has also requested Wageningen Bioveterinary Research to re-examine negative samples of the bluetongue virus submitted recently, which will be tested for the FMD virus.
Additionally, the Expert Group on Animal Diseases has been asked for advice on the outbreak’s risks. The minister described the situation as a “surprising and very disappointing event,” noting that the last FMD infection in an EU member state was recorded in 2007.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease affecting animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats. The virus can spread quickly through various means, including milk, manure, and urine of infected animals, as well as via air, and through contact with infected animals by people, other animals, and materials.
Source: NOS