An infection with Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMD) has been detected in three water buffaloes in the German state of Brandenburg. Minister Femke Wiersma of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) has instructed Wageningen Bioveterinary Research to test bluetongue samples submitted in recent weeks for the possible presence of the FMD virus. In addition, calves possibly imported from Brandenburg will be tested.
At a farm in the German state of Brandenburg, infection with foot-and-mouth disease virus was detected in three out of 14 water buffaloes present at the farm in early January. Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a disease that occurs in cloven-hoofed animals. The disease causes fever and general malaise, among other things, and leads to blisters, including on the crown rim of the claw and in the mouth; often there are also blisters on the tongue. FMD is contagious and the disease is notifiable and subject to control measures aimed at eradication. German authorities have reported the disease cases to the European Union and all European member states. Measures have also been taken in the Netherlands to quickly detect any possible infection and prevent spread.
Analysis by WBVR
One of the measures put in place by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) is retrospective testing for the presence of FMD of samples submitted for analysis for bluetongue in recent weeks. 'Bluetongue and FMD have some similar symptoms and both occur in ruminants,' says FMD researcher Aldo Dekker. In the coming weeks, samples recently submitted for analysis for bluetongue will be tested for the presence of FMD virus. WBVR is expected to be able to report the first results in a fortnight. 'Of course, we hope that no FMD virus will be found in the bluetongue samples.'
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is also surveying imports of animals and animal products to the Netherlands from Brandenburg state. So far, over 3,000 calves have been traced that may have come from Brandenburg state. The NVWA will take blood samples from these animals, which will be tested at WBVR to ensure that there has been no spread of FMD to the Netherlands.
Containment
Both the state of Brandenburg and the German federal government have formed a crisis team and activated the European FMD preparedness plan. This includes the culling and hygienic disposal of infected animals. In addition, a pig farm situated within 1 km of the infected farm has been cleared. In a 3-km radius, all farms will be visited and in a 10-km radius, a transport ban applies. This transport ban will apply for a period of 72 hours in the entire state of Brandenburg. 'These measures are in line with what has been agreed in the European context and necessary to contain the infection as soon as possible,' states Dekker.
