LONDON: The UK on Tuesday banned imports of German cattle, pigs and sheep to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, as Berlin races to contain an outbreak of the virus.
“The import of cattle, pigs and sheep from Germany will now be banned to protect farmers and their livelihoods,“ a government statement said, after South Korea and Mexico halted pork imports from Germany.
The highly contagious viral infection is not dangerous to humans but affects cattle and other cloven-hoofed animals, including sheep and pigs.
Three cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) were reported in water buffalo in a farm near Berlin on Friday. They were the first reported incidents of the virus in Germany in more than three decades and the first in the European Union since 2011.
All three animals died, while 11 others from the herd were culled as a preventative measure.
There are no cases in the UK currently, although the environment and agriculture ministry warned farmers to stay vigilant.
In 2001, up to 10 million animals were culled in a foot-and-mouth outbreak in the UK which cost the national economy about £8 billion ($9.8 billion).
The UK government statement warned that foot-and-mouth “causes significant economic losses” and urged livestock keepers to “remain vigilant to the clinical signs of FMD”.
Symptoms include fever and blisters in the mouth and near the hoof.
The ministry said there had been no live imports of animals susceptible to the disease from Germany since December 12.
Any consignments of animal by-products which could be at risk of having been contaminated were being traced, it added.
“The government will do whatever it takes to protect our nation’s farmers from the risk posed by foot and mouth,“ farming minister Daniel Zeichner said.
“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.”
The government did not specify the volume livestock imported to the UK from Germany.
But 85 percent of beef consumed in Britain in 2023 was produced domestically, along with 64 percent of pork.
