Animal Transport Resumes in Berlin Following Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak

Restrictions remain in place for areas within the protection and surveillance zones as testing continues for the highly contagious livestock virus.

Foot-and-mouth disease was first detected on January 10 in a buffalo herd in Hönow, Brandenburg, leading to strict transport bans for cloven-hoofed animals.
Berlin has lifted its animal transport ban after all clinical and virological tests in the city returned negative results, except for districts within the surveillance zone.
Protection and surveillance zones remain active around the outbreak site, with ongoing testing of livestock and wild animals to ensure containment.
No new cases of the disease, which is highly contagious for livestock but harmless to humans, have been reported since the initial outbreak.
Brandenburg farmers, particularly pig farmers, face economic challenges as some slaughterhouses refuse to accept animals from the region, prompting discussions on financial aid.