– Gustavo M. Schuenemann, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Oho State University

If traveling outside the US, take steps to help prevent bringing back FMD.
On January 10, 2025, Germany announced an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in water buffalos near Berlin. This is first FMD outbreak since 1988. The National Reference Laboratory for FMD, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut in Germany, has pinpointed the virus serotype O responsible for the recent outbreak.
What is FMD?
FMD is a severe, fast spreading viral disease affecting cows, pigs, sheep, goats, deer, and other animals with divided hooves. Most infected animals survive, but FMD causes significant losses in milk and meat productivity, as well as economic impact due to the closure of export markets. FMD was first discovered in the United States in 1870 and eradicated 1929.
What is the source of the FMD outbreak?
The exact origin and route of entry into Germany is still unknown. The FMD virus serotype O has been found in many countries, primarily in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Knowing the serotype is critical for effective vaccine deployment within a few days from the national vaccine bank once activated by regulatory agencies. For FMD, the vaccine must match precisely the virus serotype, as vaccines against other serotypes do not protect animals.
How many serotypes of FMD are there?
To date, seven FMD serotypes are known: O, A, C, Asia 1, SAT1, SAT2 and SAT3, which are further divided into more than 60 subtypes and strains. The global map from the USDA provides more details.
Is FMD a threat to human health or food safety?
No. FMD is not transmissible to humans (it is not a zoonosis) or a food safety threat. Also, the disease is not related to hand, foot, and mouth disease, a common childhood illness caused by a different virus.
What are the clinical signs?
The first clinical signs of FMD typically appear within 2 to 14 days after infection:
- Fever.
- Blisters and/or vesicles (tongue and lips, in and around the mouth, on the mammary glands, and around the hooves).
- Erosions. When blisters pop, they leave raw, eroded areas surrounded by ragged fragments of loose tissue.
- Excess salivation (sticky, foamy, and stringy saliva).
- Loss of appetite due to painful tongue and mouth blisters may lead animals to eat less.
- Lameness and a reluctance to move or stand.
- Abortions.
- Drop in milk yield.
- Heart disease and death, especially prevalent in newborn animals.
FMD can easily be confused with other diseases that produce blisters such as vesicular stomatitis, bluetongue, bovine viral diarrhea, foot rot in cattle, and swine vesicular disease.
What should I do if I observe blisters on the mouth or feet of my animals?
Please report them immediately to your herd veterinarian for further examination and testing. The only way to tell if the blisters are caused by the FMD virus is through laboratory testing.
How can FMD be prevented from entering the United States?
If you are traveling outside of the United States, you can help prevent FMD by taking these steps:
- Report signs of FMD.
- When outside of the United States, don’t bring back any prohibited items, dirty footwear or clothing that could potentially move the FMD virus.
- Declare to U.S. Customs and Border Protection any visits to farms, ranches, zoos, fairs or any other facilities where animals were exhibited.
- Follow a “5-day” rule:Avoid contact with livestock, zoo animals, or wildlife for 5 days after returning to the United States if you visited a farm or had livestock contact.
- If you’re returning with pet dogs or cats: Before returning to the United States, ensure your pet’s feet, fur, and bedding are clean of dirt, mud, straw, or hay, bathe your pet upon arrival, and keep it away from livestock for at least 5 days.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Livestock producers should remain vigilant and work closely with their herd veterinarian to protect both animal health and the agricultural market from the potentially devastating impacts of this disease.