Authorities in Germany have confirmed the discovery of the first case of foot-and-mouth disease in the country for almost four decades.
The viral disease – which affects cloven-footed animals, such as cattle, sheep and pigs – was detected in a small herd of water buffalo located near Berlin.
Causing blisters to develop inside the mouth and around the hooves, foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious, leading to the herd of water buffalo to be euthanised, in an effort to ensure the disease does not spread.
It is as yet unclear how the water buffalo contracted the disease. A short-term ban on transporting cattle (and other animals at risk of infection) has been put into place in the area, and is set to last for 72 hours, as a precautionary measure. A monitoring zone has also been created, while investigations continue into how the animals became infected.
Although the disease does not affect humans, it is possible for people to spread foot-and-mouth among animals, as the virus can be carried on clothing and other surfaces.
Previously, the last reported case of foot-and-mouth in Germany was in 1988, while the disease has not been reported throughout the EU for more than a decade. In the UK, the last severe foot-and-mouth outbreak was in 2001, with widespread infections leading to the slaughter of millions of farm animals and loss of tourism - particularly in Devon and Cumbria where much of the countryside was out of bounds.
In the UK foot-and-mouth disease is a notifiable animal disease, meaning farmers and livestock owners/carers are required to inform the authorities if they suspect their animals have it.
Image: UK foot-and-mouth sign from 2001 outbreak © Getty Images