Europe had not seen foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in nearly 14 years when authorities confirmed an outbreak in a herd of water buffalo near Berlin, Germany, in January 2025.
The outbreak was contained without any secondary spread. Two months later, however, FMD reappeared in Central Europe, with outbreaks reported in cattle herds in Hungary and Slovakia. By early 2026, the disease had surfaced again in Cyprus and on the Greek island of Lesbos.
While the outbreaks occurred in different countries and involved different viral lineages, Aleksandra Miteva, head of the Animal Health Unit at the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, recently shared her expertise at the AABP Emerging Diseases Virtual Conference. She says the events served as a real-world test of Europe’s preparedness system and demonstrated the value of rapid response measures.
Europe’s FMD Timeline
| Country | Date Confirmed | Outbreaks | Species | Estimated Animals Culled |
| Germany | Jan 2025 | 1 | Water buffalo | >200 |
| Hungary | Mar-Apr 2025 | 5 | Dairy cattle | ~9,300 |
| Slovakia | Mar-Apr 2025 | 6 | Dairy cattle | ~7,500 |
| Cyprus | Feb-Jun 2026 | 104-105 farms | Mixed livestock | ~60,000 |
| Greece (Lesbos) | Mar-May 2026 | 76 farms | Mixed livestock | ~30,000 |
The outbreaks were not linked to a single source. Genetic analysis showed the viruses detected in Germany, Hungary and Slovakia represented separate introductions, while the strains circulating in Cyprus and Greece were associated with another distinct lineage.
Despite multiple incursions, officials were able to prevent widespread transmission through a combination of stamping out infected herds, movement restrictions, surveillance and vaccination.
How Europe Contained the Outbreaks
One of the most important tools used during the response was regionalization.
Rather than imposing restrictions across entire countries, authorities established protection zones, surveillance zones and larger restricted zones around affected areas. This allowed disease-free regions to continue operating while concentrating control efforts where they were needed most.
In some cases, entire islands were designated as restricted zones to prevent the disease from spreading beyond affected areas. According to Miteva, the approach proved effective in both the 2025 Central European outbreaks and the ongoing outbreaks in Cyprus and Greece.
Movement controls were another key component of the response. Affected countries implemented animal movement restrictions, enhanced surveillance and, in some cases, temporary bans on livestock gatherings and exports.
Vaccination also played an important role.
The European Union maintains an FMD antigen bank containing more than 34 million doses of vaccine antigen that can be rapidly formulated and deployed during an emergency. Hungary and Slovakia used emergency suppressive vaccination in conjunction with stamping out, while Cyprus implemented protective vaccination as part of its control strategy.
“Rapid access to the vaccine was crucial,” Miteva says.
Five Preparedness Lessons from Europe’s Response
1. Early Detection Remains the First Line of Defense
Miteva emphasized preparedness begins long before an outbreak occurs.
“Early detection is really crucial, and awareness and rapid reporting remain essential,” she says. “Contingency plan, awareness campaign, training and diagnostic capacity must remain at an operational level.”
The outbreaks served as a reminder that even regions that have been disease-free for more than a decade must maintain the ability to rapidly recognize and diagnose foreign animal diseases.
2. Vaccine Readiness Saves Valuable Time
Maintaining vaccine supplies is only one part of preparedness. Countries must also have plans in place to rapidly deploy those vaccines when needed.
The EU’s antigen bank allowed affected countries to begin vaccination programs immediately rather than spending critical days or weeks procuring vaccines and navigating regulatory processes.
3. Regionalization Can Reduce Economic Disruption
Regionalization not only helped contain the disease, but also minimized the impact on unaffected areas.
By focusing restrictions on specific geographic regions, authorities were able to protect animal health while allowing business and trade to continue elsewhere.
4. Communication Is a Disease Control Tool
Producer cooperation can be difficult when control measures involve movement restrictions or depopulation. Miteva acknowledged those challenges and emphasized the importance of transparent communication.
“Communication is the instrument to tackle this issue,” she says.
5. Disease Control Requires a Team Effort
“This is a joint effort from all stakeholders,” Miteva says regarding successful disease control.
Veterinarians, producers, laboratories, regulators and industry organizations each play a role in disease detection, reporting and response.
A Reminder for Disease-Free Regions
Germany regained its FMD-free status in April 2025, while Hungary and Slovakia recovered their disease-free status later that year. Cyprus and Greece continue working to eliminate the disease from affected areas.
Outside of Europe, the outbreaks offer a reminder that disease-free status does not eliminate risk.
Instead, Europe’s experience demonstrates preparedness is built during the years when a disease is absent. Surveillance systems, diagnostic capacity, vaccine readiness and strong communication networks must be maintained long before they are needed.
When FMD returned to Europe after nearly 14 years, those investments helped prevent a handful of outbreaks from becoming a continent-wide crisis.
