Veterinary authority tests emergency plans against foot and mouth disease!

Veterinary authority tests emergency plans against foot and mouth disease!

The alarm bells are ringing! After the outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Brandenburg at the end of January 2025, when a cattle farm was affected, Thuringia has now taken preventative measures. Loud Rhön Canal As a result, all animals in the affected herd were killed and extensive investigations were carried out to locate other infected farms. Fortunately, the all-clear was given after several weeks.

In order to be better prepared for similar situations, Thuringia carried out extensive “state animal disease exercises” from June 29 to July 2, 2025. This year the exercise scenario was particularly realistic: symptoms such as canker sores and increased salivation were observed on farms. The fictitious samples were promptly sent to the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), which confirmed the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease on June 30th at 4:00 a.m. This reports Erfurt.de.

The challenges of animal disease control

Foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious viral infection that primarily affects even-toed ungulates such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. It shows symptoms such as fever and blisters in the oral mucosa, and can cause serious economic damage as it leads to international trade restrictions. Fortunately, the virus is generally harmless to humans, which eases the situation somewhat. Nevertheless, effective containment measures are essential BMEL emphasized.

In Thuringia, great importance was therefore placed on cooperation between the veterinary authorities and the disaster control team. The veterinary authorities were provided with extensive lists of tasks and legally secure orders were drawn up for the fictitious scenarios. Dr. David Sporn, specialist service manager and official veterinarian, emphasized the importance of such exercises in order to check and improve preparations.

A look at future security

An important goal of these exercises was to train animal disease control measures in accordance with EU animal health law. This makes planning and implementation easier in the event of an actual outbreak, with everyone involved recognizing the importance of close cooperation. The exercise was successfully completed after three labor-intensive days and showed the clear will of everyone involved to actively contribute to ensuring animal health and thus minimizing economic damage in the agricultural and food sector.

Past events, particularly the first foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Germany since 1988, have shown that rapid action and well-practiced processes are crucial for combating such epidemics. The federal-state animal disease control task force and the central animal disease crisis team are important institutions at the forefront and contribute valuable expertise to protect agriculture in Thuringia and beyond.