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Import ban of cattle, pigs and sheep from Germany introduced to protect farmers after Foot and Mouth case

The Government has stepped up measures – including both an import ban on livestock and susceptible meat and food products – to prevent spread of the Foot and Mouth (FMD) following a confirmed case in Germany

The import of cattle, pigs and sheep and their products from Germany to Great Britain have now been 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 and animal products.

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 no cases in the UK currently. 

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.

Maintaining good biosecurity is essential to protecting the health and welfare of herds and critical to preventing the spread of diseases such as FMD and preventing an outbreak spreading.

FMD causes significant economic losses due to production losses in the affected animals such as reduced milk yields as well as loss of access to foreign markets for animals, meat and milk for affected countries.

Clinical signs 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. This guidance page provides further details of symptoms to be aware of. 

 UK chief veterinary officer Dr Christine Middlemiss said: “We remain in constant contact with German counterparts to understand the latest situation following their confirmation of a single case of Foot and Mouth disease.   

“We have robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease to protect farmers and Britain’s food security, which means using all measures to limit the risk incursion and spread of this devastating disease.

“I would urge livestock keepers to exercise the upmost vigilance for signs of disease, follow scrupulous biosecurity and report any suspicion of disease immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.” 

Farming minister Daniel Zeichner said: “The Government will do whatever it takes to protect our nation’s farmers from the risk posed by Foot and Mouth.

“That is why restrictions have immediately been brought in on animal products from Germany to prevent an outbreak and we will not hesitate to add additional countries to the list if the disease spreads.

“We will continue to keep the situation under review working closely with the German authorities.”

This comes as the Government announced a £200 million investment in the UK’s main research and laboratory testing facilities at Weybridge to bolster protection against animal disease.

Foot and Mouth Disease is a legally notifiable disease and must be reported. If you suspect a notifiable disease in your animals you must report it immediately by calling the Government Helpline. Failure to do so is an offence. 

The number to report a suspect case is: 

  • 03000 200 301 in England 
  • 0300 303 826 in Wales 

If you are a keeper in Scotland then you should contact your local Field Services Office to report suspicion of disease.

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