The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has confirmed that "almost all of Germany is now foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) free again" according to Germany's Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

WOAH said that Germany’s foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)-free status which was suspended from January 9, 2025, has now been re-instated.

However, it also specified that this FMD-free status "excludes the territory of the containment zone located in Bradenburg and Berlin".

This containment zone will have certain FMD control measures in place until at least April 11, 2025.

However, according to Germany's Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Ozdemir, its "regained freedom sends a clear signal to our trading partners".

"I am confident that our trade relations for the affected agricultural products around the world will quickly normalize and that our companies will soon be able to supply their usual markets again. 

"Confirmation by the WOAH is a major success and good news for our agricultural and food industry and for many, many livestock farms in this country," the minister added.

WOAH has warned that the prevention of FMD is "dependent on the presence of early detection and warning systems" and the implementation of effective surveillance among other measures.

Germany had confirmed the country's first outbreak of FMD since 1988 in water buffalo in the state of Brandenburg, which is situated in the north-east of Germany.

The outbreak occurred in the district of Markisch-Oderland, which borders Poland and stretches to the outskirts of the capital Berlin.

According to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture the FMD outbreak is still limited to one farm in the containment zone.

Minister Ozdemir believes this area should "also regain FMD-free status as quickly as possible".

He said aside from this specific area, Germany had regained its FMD- free status in "record time" because everyone at "the local, state, and federal levels joined forces to fight the epidemic".