The FAO has issued an alert over spreading foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Europe and the Near East, warning of risks to livestock trade and food security. Countries must strengthen biosecurity and surveillance to curb the highly contagious virus.

Europe is battling its worst FMD outbreak since 2001, with cases reported in Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia. While Germany has contained the virus, Hungary’s outbreaks have spread to neighboring Slovakia, prompting trade bans—including the UK blocking meat and dairy imports from affected EU nations.

Meanwhile, an exotic FMD strain (SAT1), likely from East Africa, has entered the Near East, hitting Iraq, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The FAO warns this serotype could spread further, threatening regions previously free of the disease.

FMD devastates livestock productivity, cutting milk and meat yields, and costs endemic regions an estimated $21 billion yearly in losses and vaccination. Though not a human health risk, its economic toll on farmers and trade is severe.

The FAO urges immediate measures: heightened biosecurity, vaccination matching local strains, and contingency plans. Farmers should isolate sick animals, avoid unknown livestock sources, and enforce strict market hygiene. Global monitoring through FAO’s Emergency Prevention System aims to curb outbreaks before they escalate.