ANSES’s role in limiting the spread of new cases of foot-and-mouth disease in Europe
Since early 2025, outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have been reported in Germany, and more recently in Hungary and Slovakia. We provide an update on this highly contagious disease and ANSES's role as the European Union Reference Laboratory, a mandate it shares with the Sciensano Institute in Belgium.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease. It cannot be transmitted to humans, but infects cloven-hoofed animals, particularly cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. The foot-and-mouth disease virus is generally transmitted by direct contact between susceptible animals, but as it is highly resistant in the outdoor environment, the disease can also be spread by the wind or by indirect contact (transport of animal products and contact with contaminated equipment). The occurrence of a case on a farm leads to the entire herd being slaughtered.
While the last outbreak detected on the continent was in Bulgaria back in 2011, the virus reappeared in Europe at the beginning of 2025. The first outbreak was detected in Asian buffalo in Germany on 9 January. Then on 6 March, Hungary reported an outbreak, unrelated to the German case, on a dairy farm not far from the Slovakian border. On 20 March, Slovakia reported three outbreaks on three dairy farms. The virus identified was similar to that reported in Hungary. Two new outbreaks were then reported on 26 March, one in Hungary and one in Slovakia, and another on 30 March in Slovakia. The affected farms involve a total of 6566 cattle in Slovakia and 4446 in Hungary. This situation is likely to change rapidly, and developments can be monitored on the European Commission website. These cases are due to serotype O, as were the previous cases in Bulgaria in 2011.
ANSES's support for affected countries
The ANSES Laboratory for Animal Health hosts the European Union Reference Laboratory for foot-and-mouth disease, in partnership with Sciensano (Belgium). In this capacity and at the request of the European Commission, an ANSES expert took part in two field missions to support the local authorities in Hungary and Slovakia.
As the European Union Reference Laboratory, ANSES is also responsible for confirming virological diagnoses conducted by national reference laboratories in the affected countries. It works to characterise the strains responsible for the epizootic (animal epidemic), providing invaluable information on the choice of vaccine strain to use (vaccine concordance tests).
In addition, in its role as national reference laboratory, ANSES leads a network of four laboratories that can potentially be deployed in the event of a crisis in France, to conduct first-line diagnostic tests seven days a week. Lastly, ANSES staff can also be mobilised around the clock to assist with the emergency clinical and virological diagnosis of this infection.
Foot-and-mouth disease, a disease with major consequences for livestock farms
The foot-and-mouth disease virus is usually found in Turkey, the Near and Middle East, Africa, many Asian countries and certain parts of South America. It also occurs in epizootic form in North Africa. France has been free of the virus since 2001, when it was last introduced into the country.
The disease causes vesicular lesions (blisters) on the muzzle, tongue, lips and oral cavity, between and above the hooves, on teats and wherever there is a pressure point on the skin. The most common symptoms in infected animals are fever, listlessness, excessive salivation, loss of appetite and weight, and a drop in milk production.