Concern about outbreak: Foot and mouth disease: London tightens travel regulations

Due to concerns about the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Germany, Great Britain is tightening the rules for travelers. Since Wednesday, meat, meat products, milk and milk products as well as animal by-products from pigs and ruminants from EU and other countries may no longer be imported unpackaged, the government announced.

In Germany, this also applies to commercially packaged products, unless the products have been processed in such a way that the risk of disease transmission is excluded.

“These products can be placed in the security containers provided in ports and airports,” said the responsible ministry. State Secretary Daniel Zeichner said: “The government will do everything necessary to protect our country’s farmers from the dangers of foot and mouth disease.”

Britain’s dire experience with the epidemic

Great Britain had previously imposed an import ban on the endangered animals. “The commercial import of cattle, pigs, sheep, deer, buffalo and their products (…) is now prohibited,” the statement says. Britain experienced a serious outbreak of the disease in the early 2000s. Millions of animals had to be slaughtered.

The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was discovered last Friday on a buffalo farm in Hönow near Berlin. The animal disease is a highly contagious viral disease in cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats or pigs. Affected animals often show a high fever and blisters in the mouth and claw area. FMD is not dangerous for humans.

The most important export countries are Great Britain, South Korea and Vietnam. When asked, the meat industry association said that almost two million tons of pork and beef were exported to the EU and third countries in the first ten months of last year. Sales in third countries alone amount to around one billion euros per year.