The government has announced a livestock import ban from Germany to protect Britain from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) following a recent case.
The import of German cattle, pigs and sheep and their products is now not permitted after FMD was confirmed in water buffalo near Berlin, marking the country's first outbreak since 1988.
Defra said today (14 January) that GB health certificates would no longer be issued for animals susceptible to the disease, including all live animals and fresh meat and animal products.
The UK's chief veterinary officer urged livestock keepers to remain vigilant to the clinical signs of FMD. There are no cases in the UK currently.
Dr Christine Middlemiss said: “We remain in constant contact with German counterparts to understand the latest situation following their confirmation of a single case of Foot and Mouth disease.
"We have robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease to protect farmers and Britain's food security, which means using all measures to limit the risk incursion and spread of this devastating disease.
“I would urge livestock keepers to exercise the upmost vigilance for signs of disease, follow scrupulous biosecurity and report any suspicion of disease immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.”
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease of cattle, sheep, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals.
It causes significant economic losses due to production losses, such as reduced milk yields, as well as loss of access to foreign markets for animals, meat and milk for affected countries.
The 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak saw around 2,000 cases of the disease in farms across the UK.
Defra urged livestock keepers to be 'absolutely rigorous' about their biosecurity, as it was 'essential to protecting the health and welfare of herds'.
Clinical signs be aware of vary depending on the animals, but in cattle the key signs are sores and blisters on the feet, mouth and tongue with potentially a fever, lameness and a reluctance to feed.
In sheep and pigs, FMD signs tend to manifest with lameness with potential for blistering.
Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner said the government would 'do whatever it takes' to protect farmers from the risk posed by foot-and-mouth.
“That is why restrictions have immediately been brought in on animal products from Germany to prevent an outbreak and we will not hesitate to add additional countries to the list if the disease spreads.
“We will continue to keep the situation under review working closely with the German authorities," he said.
Any suspicion of FMD in animals must be reported immediately by calling the Government Helpline, and failure to do so is an offence.
The number to report a suspected case is 03000 200 301 in England and 0300 303 826 in Wales.
Farmers and livestock keepers in Scotland should contact their local Field Services Office to report suspicion of disease.
