Contents:
- Current cases in Europe
- Restrictions
- Risk levels and outbreak assessments
- Press releases and statements
If you suspect foot and mouth disease in your animals, you must report it immediately by calling 03000 200 301 in England, 0300 303 8268 in Wales or your local Field Services Office in Scotland.
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) affects cloven-hoofed animals including:
- cattle
- sheep
- pigs
- goats
- camelids
- deer
It does not affect humans.
Livestock keepers must be vigilant to signs of disease and practise good biosecurity.
Current cases in Europe
There are currently no cases in the UK, but there have been confirmed cases in:
- Cyprus (February 2026)
- Slovakia (March 2025)
- Hungary (March 2025)
- Germany (January 2025)
The last outbreak in the UK was in 2007.
Restrictions
Bringing food into Great Britain for personal use
You must not bring meat or dairy products from certain animals (including cows, sheep, pigs and goats) into Great Britain for personal use, if those goods are from:
- the EU
- EFTA States
- the Faroe Islands
- Greenland
Check the rules for bringing food into Great Britain for personal use.
Commercial trade
There are restrictions on commercially importing certain products from Cyprus due to FMD.
The restrictions apply to:
- hay and straw
- any live animal belonging to an FMD-susceptible species
Restrictions also apply to the following products from FMD-susceptible animals:
- germplasm
- fresh meat
- meat products, unless suitably heat treated
- milk and dairy products, unless suitably treated
- animal by-products, such as pet food
- casings
Traders must check the rules for imports, exports and EU trade of animals and animal products.
Risk levels and outbreak assessments
The risk of FMD entering the UK is currently assessed as low.
Find details of the evidence that supported the decisions on this risk level in APHA’s outbreak assessments:
- foot and mouth disease in water buffalo in Germany
- foot and mouth disease in Hungary and Slovakia
- foot and mouth disease in North Africa and the Middle East
Foot and mouth disease is not a public health or food safety risk.
Press releases and statements
- 18 September 2025 press release: Foot and mouth disease controls amended for Hungary
- 24 June 2025 press release: Austrian foot and mouth disease controls amended
- 14 May 2025 press release: Foot and mouth disease controls eased for Germany
- 11 April 2025 press release: Government extends ban on personal meat imports to protect farmers from foot and mouth
- 28 March 2025 press release: Import ban of cattle, pigs, sheep, and deer from Austria to protect farmers
- 24 March 2025: Foot and Mouth disease controls amended in Germany
- 22 March 2025 press release: Foot and Mouth disease detected in Slovakia
- 7 March 2025 press release: Import ban of cattle, pigs, sheep and deer from Hungary and Slovakia to protect farmers after foot and mouth case
- 15 January 2025 statement on foot and mouth disease
- 14 January 2025 press release: Government introduces import ban of cattle, pigs and sheep from Germany to protect farmers after Foot and Mouth case
(Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0)
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