Germany's first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 36 years has been recorded on a farm in Germany

The first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Germany since 1988 has been recorded at a water buffalo farm in the town of Hönov in the Merkisch-Oderland region. About it on January 10 reports German radio RBB24.

It is noted that the disease has covered not only cattle, but also pigs. Now the owners of the farm will have to kill 11 buffalo. The day before, three such animals had already died there, said Brandenburg Agriculture Minister Hanka Mittelstedt. Their carcasses were examined at the Brandenburg State Laboratory and the Friedrich Leffler Institute.

"The remaining 11 other water buffalo must now be killed. This is being handled by a specialized company," the media outlet points out.

A 3 km quarantine zone and a 10 km surveillance zone have been set up around the farm for the safety of others. Its owners are known to have another herd in the Oder-Spree district. An investigation has been launched to see if the animals there are also infected with the same disease.

Foot-and-mouth disease is an acute viral disease characteristic of hoofed animals. It spreads quickly, including by airborne droplets. A person can be infected by it when consuming raw milk of diseased animals or products of its processing.

On January 7, it was reported that a person hospitalized with severe avian influenza (H5N1) died in the state of Louisiana. This is the first recorded case of a human death from the H5N1 virus. The 65-year-old man became infected after coming into contact with a flock of wild birds in the backyard of his home. It was noted that the patient had comorbidities.