{ "abstract": "Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus is one of the most feared and most consequential pathogens of livestock worldwide. It can be spread rapidly by the transboundary movement of animals, animal products, and by-products. In January 2025, Germany detected its first FMD outbreak since 1988 in extensively reared water buffalo on a small farm in the state of Brandenburg, directly outside Berlin, the federal capital. Immediate control measures including a standstill for movements of susceptible animals and pre-emptive culling were implemented by the veterinary authorities. Whole-genome sequencing identified the virus as serotype O, topotype ME-SA, lineage SA-2018 and revealed extensive recombination, but cross-neutralization assays suggested good heterologous protection by an O/PanAsia-2 vaccine strain. Epidemiological back-calculation placed the time of virus introduction in late December 2024. Although the entry route remains unresolved, human-associated introduction is most likely. Network analysis revealed minimal farm connectivity, and simulations predicted low potential for onward transmission, which is consistent with the outbreak being ultimately restricted to a single herd. This event underscores the constant and unpredictable risk of introduction of the virus. Early detection through increased awareness and comprehensive differential diagnostics as well as the international collaboration of veterinary services, laboratories, and experts are essential in the face of the global presence of FMD.", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.", "Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.", "Berlin-Brandenburg State Laboratory, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany.", "Animal Disease Control Service, Consumer Protection Department, Brandenburg State Office for Occupational Safety, Consumer Protection, and Health, Teltow, Germany.", "Department 62–Veterinary Services, Prevention and Control of Animal Diseases, State Veterinarian, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Environment and Consumer Protection of the State of Brandenburg, Potsdam, Germany.", "Health-related Consumer Protection and Veterinary Affairs Division, Senate Department for Justice and Consumer Protection, Berlin, Germany.", "Unit 323, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity, Bonn, Germany.", "Department 3–Agriculture, Rural Areas, Veterinary and Food Affairs, Administrative Department for Animal Health, Animal Welfare and Consumer Protection, Regional Council of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.", "Department of Experimental Animal Facilities and Biorisk Management, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.", "Foot-and-Mouth Disease (ŞAP) Institute, Ankara, Türkiye.", "Department of Virology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan, Israel.", "Central Veterinary Laboratories, Baghdad, Iraq.", "FAO World Reference Laboratory for FMD, The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey, UK.", "University Paris-Est, UMR Virologie, INRAe, École nationale vétérinaire d’Alfort, Anses, Animal Health Laboratory, EU Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Maisons-Alfort, France.", "Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany." ], "article_type": null, "arxiv": null, "author_total": 36, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Michael Eschbaumer", "orcid": "0000-0002-1104-0695" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Christoph Staubach", "orcid": "0000-0002-1574-0138" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Florian Pfaff", "orcid": "0000-0003-0178-6183" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Jörn Gethmann", "orcid": "0000-0001-7455-803X" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Katja Schulz", "orcid": "0000-0003-1816-6554" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Lisa Rogoll", "orcid": "0009-0004-8129-3526" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Sabine Bock" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Wulf-Iwo Bock" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Christoph Schulze", "orcid": "0000-0003-1035-3849" }, { "affs": [ 3 ], "name": "Ronny Marquart" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Nicole Reinhardt" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Stephan Nickisch" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Nadine Kakerow" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Sabrina Freter" }, { "affs": [ 3 ], "name": "Annett Rudovsky" }, { "affs": [ 3 ], "name": "Kerstin Albrecht" }, { "affs": [ 5 ], "name": "Sandra Leo" }, { "affs": [ 6 ], "name": "Christina Haarmann", "orcid": "0009-0003-7843-5733" }, { "affs": [ 6, 7 ], "name": "Sarah Lenz", "orcid": "0009-0001-9210-5277" }, { "affs": [ 6 ], "name": "Barbara Hoffmann" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Sten Calvelage", "orcid": "0000-0001-8511-9067" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Dirk Höper", "orcid": "0000-0001-8408-2274" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Patrick Zitzow" }, { "affs": [ 8 ], "name": "Angele Breithaupt", "orcid": "0000-0002-6373-5923" }, { "affs": [ 9 ], "name": "Can Çokçalişkan", "orcid": "0000-0002-3839-0986" }, { "affs": [ 9 ], "name": "Ünal Parlak", "orcid": "0000-0003-2870-8345" }, { "affs": [ 10 ], "name": "Sharon Karniely", "orcid": "0000-0002-8244-1453" }, { "affs": [ 11 ], "name": "Laith Mohammed Salih Abdulrasool" }, { "affs": [ 12 ], "name": "Nick Knowles", "orcid": "0000-0002-6696-1344" }, { "affs": [ 13 ], "name": "Guillaume Girault", "orcid": "0000-0002-5457-2077" }, { "affs": [ 13 ], "name": "Aurore Romey", "orcid": "0000-0002-0139-5142" }, { "affs": [ 13 ], "name": "Labib Bakkali Kassimi", "orcid": "0000-0002-6677-6819" }, { "affs": [ 12 ], "name": "Donald P. King", "orcid": "0000-0002-6959-2708" }, { "affs": [ 14 ], "name": "Christa Kühn", "orcid": "0000-0002-0216-424X" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Carola Sauter-Louis", "orcid": "0000-0002-6440-1933" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Martin Beer", "orcid": "0000-0002-0598-5254" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/adf0jmnrr463t.bib", "cited_by": 1, "doi": "10.1126/sciadv.aeh6459", "fulltext_url": null, "id": "adf0jmnrr463t", "issns": [ "2375-2548" ], "landing_url": "https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeh6459", "language": null, "licence": "CC-BY", "licence_label": "CC BY", "licence_source": "journal", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "openalex", "1102|Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology" ] ], "openalex": "W7221133260", "pdf_url": null, "pmcid": null, "pmid": null, "published": "2026-10-09", "publisher": "American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)", "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/adf0jmnrr463t.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:41Z", "native_id": "10.1126/sciadv.aeh6459", "source": "crossref", "url": "https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeh6459" } ], "subjects": [ { "field": "biology", "origin": "openalex:1102|Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology", "subfield": "plant-biology" } ], "title": "Buffaloed in Brandenburg: Germany’s first brush with foot-and-mouth disease after four decades of freedom", "title_text": "Buffaloed in Brandenburg: Germany’s first brush with foot-and-mouth disease after four decades of freedom", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:41Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/adf0jmnrr463t", "venue": "Science Advances", "versions": [] }