Russia has banned the import of breeding pigs from the European Union starting January 15, with a potential expansion of the ban to all livestock products, including those in transit to third countries, from January 20.
Previously, similar restrictions were imposed by South Korea, Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, Belarus, and the United Kingdom. The Netherlands has halted operations at 125 agricultural enterprises that imported calves from Brandenburg, where an outbreak was detected.
German authorities reported sick animals on January 9: a farm housed 14 buffaloes, three of which tested positive for foot-and-mouth disease. Additionally, as a precaution, 55 goats and sheep, as well as three cows, have already been culled on another farm. It is reported that the spread of the virus is contained within these two farms, although the risk remains.
Foot-and-mouth disease causes fever and blisters in the mouths of cloven-hoofed animals: buffaloes, cows, sheep, goats, and pigs. The disease is highly contagious among livestock, but the likelihood of transmission to humans is extremely low, and it does not result in serious consequences, nor is it transmitted from person to person. With proper handling of meat and milk, infection with foot-and-mouth disease is not possible.
Until 1991-1992, foot-and-mouth disease was controlled in Europe through the vaccination of the entire cattle population. After several years without any reported cases, vaccination was halted – and since then, the incidence of the disease in Europe has remained very low.
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