First Foot-and-Mouth Disease Cases in EU Since 2011 Detected in Germany

Three water buffalo near Berlin have tested positive, prompting containment measures to prevent further spread.

The cases were identified in the Brandenburg region, marking Germany's first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease since 1988.
Authorities have implemented restriction zones around the affected area to contain the highly contagious viral disease.
Foot-and-mouth disease poses no risk to humans consuming meat or dairy but can be transmitted by human contact to animals.
Previous outbreaks in Europe led to thousands of animals being culled, including over 2,000 in the UK in 2007 and hundreds in Bulgaria in 2011.
Water buffalo in Germany are primarily raised for milk, meat, and ecological land management, with their introduction dating back to the 1990s.