Foot-and-mouth disease resurges in Europe—discover how dairy farms worldwide are racing to overhaul biosecurity or face ruin.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Recent foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in Slovakia and Germany—the first in decades—signal a critical threat to global dairy operations. The article reveals how FMD’s return demands urgent biosecurity upgrades, including enhanced farm access controls, vaccination programs, and staff training. With case studies from Kenya to Thailand showing 20–35% milk yield losses during outbreaks, the piece emphasizes proactive measures like the FARM Program’s protocols. A cost-benefit analysis demonstrates that biosecurity investments pale against potential catastrophe, while expert quotes and global data underscore the need for immediate action to protect dairy trade and herd health.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Europe’s FMD wake-up call: Slovakia’s first outbreak since 1973 threatens EU dairy trade, requiring farms to adopt wartime-level biosecurity.
- 20–30% milk losses: Infected herds face irreversible productivity drops, with Kenyan studies showing parity ≥4 cows losing 688kg milk/lactation.
- FARM Program protocols work: Combine everyday practices (visitor logs) with enhanced measures (30-day quarantines) to mitigate risks.
- $5K prevention vs. $500K losses: Vaccination and fencing costs are negligible compared to outbreak-related culling and export bans.
- Global vulnerability: Both industrial EU operations and smallholder farms face existential threats without rapid protocol upgrades.
The global dairy industry faces a critical inflection point as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) resurfaces in Europe after decades of absence. With Slovakia confirming its first outbreak since 1973 and Germany detecting cases in January 2025, dairy producers worldwide must urgently reassess their biosecurity measures or risk devastating economic consequences. This isn’t just about preventing disease—it’s about ensuring your farm’s survival in an increasingly vulnerable global dairy landscape.
THE EUROPEAN FMD RESURGENCE: A WAKE-UP CALL
The dairy world was shocked on March 7, 2025, when Slovakia confirmed its first foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in over 50 years on a 1,400-strong cattle farm near the Hungarian border. This follows Germany’s January confirmation of FMD in water buffalo—their first case since 1988. These aren’t isolated incidents but warning signals of potentially more significant biosecurity failures across Europe’s dairy sector.
The Slovakian outbreak shows classic FMD symptoms, prompting immediate farm closure and strict movement restrictions. What makes this particularly alarming is the disease’s reappearance after such a long absence, suggesting either evolving transmission pathways or deteriorating biosecurity protocols across the continent.
“The confirmation of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle in Slovakia comes less than two months after the virus was found in water buffalo in Germany,” notes the Swine Health Information Center, highlighting that despite the 475-mile separation between outbreaks, the disease has managed to establish multiple footholds in a region previously considered FMD-free.
WHY THIS MATTERS TO YOUR OPERATION
FMD isn’t just another disease—it’s potentially catastrophic for dairy producers. The highly contagious virus affects all cloven-hoofed animals, causing fever, painful blisters, dramatically reduced milk production, and 15–30% long-term milk yield losses in recovered cows[5][6]. While it doesn’t pose direct health risks to humans, people can act as mechanical carriers via contaminated clothing, shoes, or equipment.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. A single FMD case in the United States would trigger an immediate 72-hour nationwide standstill on livestock movement, halting $80 billion in annual dairy exports. To put this in perspective:
- Australia estimates a $80 billion economic impact over 10 years from a large FMD outbreak
- Thailand’s 2015–2016 outbreaks caused USD 56 losses per dairy animal due to milk production drops
BIOSECURITY: YOUR FARM’S FIRST AND LAST LINE OF DEFENSE
The dairy industry has traditionally lagged behind poultry and swine sectors in implementing robust biosecurity measures. This gap must close—and fast.
Dr. Keith Poulsen from the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Center emphasizes practical steps: “Limit traffic on and off the farm to one or two critical control points where you can have a line of separation”. This approach aligns with National Milk Producers Federation guidelines and resources available through Secure Milk and Secure Beef websites.
The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program offers two complementary biosecurity approaches:
Everyday Biosecurity
It focuses on preventing common diseases like contagious mastitis, respiratory infections, and scours. It builds on existing good husbandry practices and provides resources for protecting both cattle and employee health.
Enhanced Biosecurity
- Control farm access points – Single entry/exit with disinfection stations
- Visitor protocols – Mandatory clean boots, sanitized clothing, and movement logs
- New animal quarantine – 30-day isolation with testing before integration
- Vaccination programs – Align with regional FMD strain risks
GLOBAL IMPACTS: FROM KENYA TO THAILAND
While Europe’s outbreaks dominate headlines, developing dairy regions face even steeper challenges:
- Kenya: A 2015 FMD outbreak reduced milk yields by 35% in high-producing cows, with parity ≥ four animals losing 688kg milk/lactation
- Thailand: 94% of FMD-affected dairy farms reported milk production losses averaging 20–30% during outbreaks
Dr. James Wabacha, lead author of the Kenyan study, warns: “Smallholder farms using European genetics face disproportionate risks. A single outbreak can erase years of productivity gains.”
THE COST-BENEFIT EQUATION: INVESTMENT VS. CATASTROPHE
Let’s be blunt: Implementing robust biosecurity measures isn’t cheap. Dr. Poulsen acknowledges this reality: “It’s expensive. It’s hard to do There isn’t an immediate return on investment.”
However, this perspective changes dramatically when considering the alternative. Use this comparison to justify costs:
| Biosecurity Measure | Annual Cost (500-cow herd) | Potential Outbreak Loss |
| Vaccination Program | $2,500–$5,000 | $150,000+ in milk losses |
| Perimeter Fencing | $10,000 | $500,000+ in culling |
| Employee Training | $1,200 | $50,000+ in vet costs |
Data synthesized from USDA, ABARES, and Frontiers in Veterinary Science
THE BOTTOM LINE
After decades of absence, the reemergence of foot-and-mouth disease in Europe sends a clear message to dairy producers worldwide: Complacency is no longer an option. The Slovakian and German outbreaks demonstrate that even regions with strong veterinary infrastructure remain vulnerable to devastating animal diseases.
Innovative dairy producers will use this European wake-up call to:
- Audit existing biosecurity protocols using FARM Program guidelines
- Implement enhanced movement controls and visitor logs
- Train staff on early FMD symptom recognition
The choice is clear: Proactive protection or reactive crisis management. With global dairy trade hanging in the balance, which path will your operation take?
Read more:
- BREAKING: FMD Confirmed on Three Farms in Slovakia
Dive into airborne transmission risks, vaccine controversies, and urgent biosecurity upgrades for European dairy farms facing FMD outbreaks. - FMD Crisis Hits Europe: Hungary Reports First Outbreak in 50 Years
Explore cross-border containment challenges, milk production losses, and lessons for global dairy operations from Hungary’s historic outbreak. - How DairyTrace and proAction Safeguard Canada’s Dairy Industry Against Bird Flu
Learn how Canada’s traceability systems and biosecurity protocols could serve as a blueprint for combating FMD and other transnational diseases.
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