Buffaloed in Brandenburg: Germany’s first brush with foot-and-mouth disease after four decades of freedom
15 affiliations
- 1Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
- 2Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
- 3Berlin-Brandenburg State Laboratory, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany.
- 4Animal Disease Control Service, Consumer Protection Department, Brandenburg State Office for Occupational Safety, Consumer Protection, and Health, Teltow, Germany.
- 5Department 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.
- 6Health-related Consumer Protection and Veterinary Affairs Division, Senate Department for Justice and Consumer Protection, Berlin, Germany.
- 7Unit 323, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity, Bonn, Germany.
- 8Department 3–Agriculture, Rural Areas, Veterinary and Food Affairs, Administrative Department for Animal Health, Animal Welfare and Consumer Protection, Regional Council of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- 9Department of Experimental Animal Facilities and Biorisk Management, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
- 10Foot-and-Mouth Disease (ŞAP) Institute, Ankara, Türkiye.
- 11Department of Virology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan, Israel.
- 12Central Veterinary Laboratories, Baghdad, Iraq.
- 13FAO World Reference Laboratory for FMD, The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey, UK.
- 14University 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.
- 15Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
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.
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BibTeX
@article{eschbaumer2026buffaloed,
title = {{Buffaloed in Brandenburg: Germany’s first brush with foot-and-mouth disease after four decades of freedom}},
author = {Michael Eschbaumer and Christoph Staubach and Florian Pfaff and Jörn Gethmann and Katja Schulz and Lisa Rogoll and Sabine Bock and Wulf-Iwo Bock and Christoph Schulze and Ronny Marquart and Nicole Reinhardt and Stephan Nickisch and Nadine Kakerow and Sabrina Freter and Annett Rudovsky and Kerstin Albrecht and Sandra Leo and Christina Haarmann and Sarah Lenz and Barbara Hoffmann and Sten Calvelage and Dirk Höper and Patrick Zitzow and Angele Breithaupt and Can Çokçalişkan and Ünal Parlak and Sharon Karniely and Laith Mohammed Salih Abdulrasool and Nick Knowles and Guillaume Girault and Aurore Romey and Labib Bakkali Kassimi and Donald P. King and Christa Kühn and Carola Sauter-Louis and Martin Beer},
journal = {Science Advances},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1126/sciadv.aeh6459},
url = {https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeh6459},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Buffaloed in Brandenburg: Germany’s first brush with foot-and-mouth disease after four decades of freedom
AU - Michael Eschbaumer
AU - Christoph Staubach
AU - Florian Pfaff
AU - Jörn Gethmann
AU - Katja Schulz
AU - Lisa Rogoll
AU - Sabine Bock
AU - Wulf-Iwo Bock
AU - Christoph Schulze
AU - Ronny Marquart
AU - Nicole Reinhardt
AU - Stephan Nickisch
AU - Nadine Kakerow
AU - Sabrina Freter
AU - Annett Rudovsky
AU - Kerstin Albrecht
AU - Sandra Leo
AU - Christina Haarmann
AU - Sarah Lenz
AU - Barbara Hoffmann
AU - Sten Calvelage
AU - Dirk Höper
AU - Patrick Zitzow
AU - Angele Breithaupt
AU - Can Çokçalişkan
AU - Ünal Parlak
AU - Sharon Karniely
AU - Laith Mohammed Salih Abdulrasool
AU - Nick Knowles
AU - Guillaume Girault
AU - Aurore Romey
AU - Labib Bakkali Kassimi
AU - Donald P. King
AU - Christa Kühn
AU - Carola Sauter-Louis
AU - Martin Beer
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - Science Advances
DO - 10.1126/sciadv.aeh6459
UR - https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeh6459
AB - 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.
SN - 2375-2548
ER -