LONDON — The U.K. government is banning the import of cattle, pigs and sheep from Germany as it steps up measures to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, following reports of a case in the country.
Under the new rules announced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on Tuesday, export health certificates will no longer be issued in Germany for animals deemed susceptible for the disease, including live animals, fresh meat and animal products.
“The government will do whatever it takes to protect our nation’s farmers from the risk posed by Foot and Mouth,” said Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner.
“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. We will continue to keep the situation under review working closely with the German authorities.”
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease of cattle, sheep, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals, with symptoms including sores and blisters on the feet, mouth and tongue.
The U.K.’s agricultural industry was devastated by an outbreak of the disease in 2001, with over 2,000 farms affected and more than 6 million animals slaughtered.
There are currently no reported cases of the disease in the U.K.
The post UK bans German livestock imports after foot-and-mouth outbreak appeared first on Politico.
