The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in an email on April 8 that new admissibility requirements for commodities originating from Greece have been set up in CFIA’s Automated Import Reference System (AIRS).

WHY IT MATTERS: Data from Greece’s tourism industry show over 300,000 arrivals in that country from Canada in 2024 alone.

According to the World Organization for Animal Health, Greece began reporting cases of foot-and-mouth disease on March 15 with nine infected cattle at a farm on the island of Lesvos, marking the country’s first such cases since 1994. Its most recent cases, in sheep and one cow on the same island, were reported March 29.

Greece’s cases so far have all occurred on farms in the northern regions of that island, in the Aegean Sea off the west coast of Turkey. So far, 438 animals in total have been confirmed infected.

The findings make Greece the fifth European Union member country currently under foot-and-mouth restrictions from Canada. Hungary, Slovakia and Cyprus all reported cases last year, while Bulgaria is the lone EU member country “not usually considered free” of foot-and-mouth disease.

Germany regained disease-free status last month, while CFIA’s restrictions on Austria were lifted last September.

While findings of the disease in Greece are so far limited to Lesvos, Canada’s new restrictions apply to the entire country, unlike certain other nations such as Brazil, Argentina and Peru in which CFIA classifies some but not all provinces or states as free of foot-and-mouth disease.

What products are prohibited?

At-risk commodities covered by Canada’s import ban include live animals and germplasm; animal products and byproducts; uncooked meat and meat products; raw milk and milk products made from raw milk, such as unpasteurized cheese; unprocessed manure; laboratory material; blood products; livestock feed and equipment that has been in contact with affected animals; raw or unprocessed pet foods; raw hides, skins, wool, antlers, horns, hooves; and any other non-heat-treated products or byproducts from vulnerable animal species.

Species vulnerable to foot-and-mouth disease include hogs, cattle, bison, sheep, goats, camelids (llamas, alpacas) and cervids (deer, elk, moose) among others.

CFIA’s restrictions apply to any at-risk products dating as far back as 28 days before the first symptoms were detected in an affected country.

Foot-and-mouth disease, according to CFIA, is a viral disease characterized by symptoms including blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and between the hooves; foot lesions, accompanied by acute lameness and reluctance to move; and loss of appetite or milk production. The virus can spread between animals through direct, indirect or airborne transmission.

Canada is free of the disease and has not reported any cases of the disease in livestock since 1952, when an outbreak in southeastern Saskatchewan is believed to have originated with a visitor from an infected farm in Germany, carrying the virus either on clothes or an infected sausage.

Advice for farmers visiting Greece

Canadians are still free to travel to Greece, but CFIA recommends they avoid visiting farms when doing so. Travellers who do visit farms should make sure clothes and footwear worn during those visits are free from soil or manure. Footwear should be cleaned and disinfected, and dry-cleaning of the clothes worn is recommended.

Travellers should also avoid contact with susceptible animals, including farm and zoo animals and wildlife, for 14 days after returning to Canada.

For farmers who travel to Greece, contact with farm animals is not recommended for five days upon return to Canada, when “strict personal decontamination measures” are applied to clothes and footwear, CFIA says.

Travellers also must declare all food products upon arrival in Canada. Generally, CFIA says, meat and dairy products from foot-and-mouth infected countries won’t be allowed, but foods that are “cooked, shelf-stable, commercially prepared and hermetically sealed” may be.

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The agriculture ministry said it detected a new serotype of the disease that heightened the outbreak, due to animal movement after the Muslim religious holiday of Eid al Adha, which is typically marked by slaughtering livestock.

The decision was taken to prevent further spread as teams continue to vaccinate animals against the disease, the ministry said. It will gradually lift the restrictions once the entire livestock population is vaccinated.

The ministry also said the temporary closure will not disrupt supply and demand for meat and dairy products in Turkey.

— Reporting by Can Sezer

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Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health and Biogénesis Bagó SA will supply vaccines and develop the bank, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced on Tuesday. Public Services and Procurement Canada awarded the contract on the CFIA’s behalf following a “competitive procurement process.”

The Liberal government promised a foot-and-mouth vaccine bank in its 2023 budget following years of advocacy from agricultural groups.

“The Canadian beef industry breathed a collective sigh of relief to learn a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine bank is on the horizon,” Alberta Beef Producers said in a report on its website after the announcement.

It’s expected an outbreak of the disease, which affects cloven-hooved animals like cattle, pigs, sheep and deer, would likely close borders to exports of Canadian meat and animals.

In a January webinar, Alberta Beef Producers extension lead Karen Schmid estimated an outbreak could cost the Canadian livestock sector around $65 billion.

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“The spread, prevalence and impact of infectious animal diseases is changing, bringing new challenges for agriculture and food security, human health and development, and natural ecosystems,” said Dr. Emmanuelle Soubeyran, Director General of WOAH in a news release.

“Alongside other measures, vaccination remains one of the most powerful disease prevention tools available, saving countless lives, preventing economic losses and reducing the need for antimicrobial treatments,” Soubeyran added.

The ability to track, analyze and act on animal health trends is a must for mitigating disease outbreaks, keeping livestock production sustainable and maintaining biodiversity, says the State of World’s Animal Health 2025 report released May 23 ahead of WOAH’s 92nd General Session in Paris.

The report emphasized the importance of disease prevention for reducing the need for antibiotic treatment and limiting the development of drug-resistant diseases.

Climate change and increased trade were cited as factors influencing the spread and prevalence of animal diseases. Many diseases are preventable through a combination of vaccination, improved hygiene and biosecurity measures, but the report said access to animal vaccines remains uneven around the world.

Progress and setbacks in 2025

This year, several regions have seen significant disease outbreaks that required urgent intervention.

Climate change, international trade and evolving pathogen dynamics influenced disease distribution and severity, reinforcing the importance of robust surveillance and early warning systems, said WOAH.

Regional disparities in animal health remain a key concern, as gaps in veterinary infrastructure and disease-monitoring capabilities create vulnerabilities in certain parts of the world.

Foot and mouth disease

During the reporting period of 2024 into the first part of 2025, 18 countries reported a total of 216 foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks to the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS). That included 29 exceptional epidemiological events, e.g. the first occurence of a new disease strain, a sudden change in distribution of a disease, or the first instance of a disease in a country or zone.

At the time of this report’s publication, 180 FMD outbreaks linked to 19 exceptional epidemiological events remained ongoing globally.

African swine fever

African swine fever (ASF) expanded its geographical range significantly, making control and eradication increasingly challenging. Despite these obstacles, global control of ASF remains possible with sustained efforts and international co-operation, said WOAH.

For 2024, WOAH received 68 immediate notifications from 16 countries and territories, reporting a total of 6,807 outbreaks. These outbreaks resulted in 195,191 reported cases, with 222,174 animal losses in domestic pigs.

Given the global impact of ASF on the pig industry and wildlife, development of ASF vaccines has become a priority. Recent advancements in modified live vaccines have provided hope for controlling ASF. However, WOAH cautioned against the use of substandard vaccines, as they may not provide effective protection and could worsen the spread of disease.

Avian influenza

For 2024, 42 countries or territories reported new outbreaks of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, in poultry, while 55 countries or territories reported new outbreaks in non-poultry, including wild birds and mammals.

A total of 943 outbreaks were reported in poultry, alongside 2,570 outbreaks in non-poultry species, including 1,548 outbreaks in wild birds and 1,022 outbreaks in mammals. The reported figures included 6.18 million poultry cases and 82.1 million poultry losses. Wild birds accounted for 11,866 cases, and mammals had 325 reported cases.

As of the New Year, 19 countries had self-declared freedom from HPAI in poultry. Two countries reported HPAI-free zones and three countries declaring HPAI-free compartments.

A notable development in 2024 was the increase in HPAI outbreaks in mammals. Following the first report of HPAI in dairy cattle in the U.S. in March 2024, the number of outbreaks in mammals significantly increased. In total, 1,022 outbreaks in mammals were recorded, compared to 459 outbreaks in 2023. Among these, 926 outbreaks occurred in cattle in the U.S.

HPAI’s global spread has hit areas previously unaffected by the disease, including Latin America and Antarctica. This spread marks a serious concern for experts.

WOAH urged member nations to maintain vigilance in surveillance and biosecurity, and to adopt preventive strategies at the farm level.

WOAH emphasized safeguarding people in close contact with infected animals and advised against unjustified trade restrictions.

Peste des Petits Ruminants

Between January 2024 and April 2025, a total of 165 peste des petits ruminants (PPR) outbreaks were reported to WAHIS by nine countries.

Due to the highly contagious and transboundary nature of PPR, the disease is said to pose a persistent threat to small ruminant populations across regions with shared borders and livestock trade routes. Uncontrolled animal movements, porous frontiers and informal trade networks facilitate the rapid spread of the virus across national boundaries, particularly in areas with limited veterinary infrastructure, said WOAH.

Lumpy skin disease

During the period under study, 319 lumpy skin disease outbreaks were reported to WAHIS from 11 countries. The disease was detected for the first time in northern Africa and Japan. It also reoccurred in Eastern and Southern Asia.

Bluetongue virus

Bluetongue is a viral disease that affects ruminants like sheep, cattle and goats, spread by tiny biting midges. Once mostly confined to tropical and subtropical areas, it has steadily made its way into the Mediterranean basin and parts of Southern Europe since the late 1990s. While it poses no risk to human health, its impact on animals can be devastating, particularly for sheep. The disease not only leads to high mortality and reduced milk production but also disrupts trade and burdens farmers with costly control measures.

New World screwworm

New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) is an endemic disease in certain Caribbean and South American countries, with Chile being the only exception where it was last reported in 1947. The disease was eradicated in Central America in the early 2000s, the United States in the 1960s, and Mexico in the 1970s.

During the reporting period, 8,363 outbreaks were reported to WAHIS by seven countries, involving 13 exceptional epidemiological events. The disease was detected for the first time in Mexico in December 2024, while it reoccurred in Nicaragua, which accounted for over 60 per cent of the reported outbreaks. Other affected countries included Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

During the reporting period, a total of 3,626 bluetongue outbreaks were reported to WAHIS by 24 countries, involving 58 exceptional epidemiological events. In Europe, serotype 3 caused outbreaks in several countries, including Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Serotype 12 was reported for the first time in the Netherlands while serotype 8 was reported for the first time in Portugal and North Macedonia.

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Germany announced the country’s first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in nearly 40 years on Jan. 10 in a herd of water buffalo near Berlin. The outbreak remains at one case, with no others reported, although the cause is still unknown.

The European Commission has approved the lifting of a three-kilometre protection zone around the original case and designating it as an observation zone as no new cases have been discovered, the agriculture ministry said.

This will apply until Feb. 24, then a smaller area will be under observation until April 11.

Three months must pass without a new case before Germany can be regarded as foot-and-mouth disease free.

The ministry said it is preparing an application to the World Organization for Animal Health to have Germany declared free of foot-and-mouth. This could enable export restrictions on German meat and dairy products to be lifted.

“Our determined action against foot-and-mouth is paying off,” said German agriculture minister Cem Oezdemir. “The outbreak is still restricted to one farm. This shows that the actions we took were correct and are effective.”

The EU Commission says Germany’s efforts to combat the disease would enable the regionalization principle to be used.

Under this rule, sales of meat and dairy products are only restricted from the region where the disease has been confirmed. This means that falls in German pig prices have been moderate.

Measures to contain the disease, which poses no danger to humans, often involve bans on imports of meat and dairy products from affected countries, with Britain and South Korea among states imposing import bans on Germany.

—Reporting by Michael Hogan

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The country announced its first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in nearly 40 years on Jan. 10 in a herd of water buffalo near Berlin in the Brandenburg region. That remains the only reported case so far.

The minister, Cem Oezdemir, said that containing the disease was top priority but he wished that “no farm should close because of foot-and-mouth disease.”

The country was seeking crisis aid for farmers from the EU and was also in talks with its finance ministry, he said.

Pig prices in the country have stabilised as fears subsided that foot-and-mouth disease would spread, while the EU has indicated that German meat and dairy product sales outside the region containing the case could continue.

Some emergency measures to restrict spread of the highly infectious disease, which poses no danger to humans, were lifted but quarantine zones remain in force.

Measures to contain the disease often involve bans on imports of meat and dairy products from affected countries. The UK, South Korea and Mexico imposed import bans on Germany, with the British decision causing pain to Germany’s livestock sector.

German animal disease research institute Friedrich Loeffler has said three months must pass without a new case before Germany can be regarded as foot-and-mouth free.

— Reporting by Michael Hogan

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The ban, which also includes processed and unprocessed products, comes after the World Organization for Animal Health released information of disease outbreaks in various countries, according to a series of announcements by China’s General Administration of Customs dated Jan. 21.

The ban from the world’s largest meat importer affects Ghana, Somalia, Qatar, Congo (DRC), Nigeria, and Tanzania, Egypt, Bulgaria, East Timor and Eritrea.

China also said it has stopped imports of sheep, goat and related products from Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh due to sheep pox and goat pox outbreaks.

It also blocked the imports of even-toed ungulates and related products from Germany following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, it said.

— Reporting by Mei Mei Chu

—Updated Jan. 28. Corrects World Health Organization to World Organization for Animal Health.

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Germany has only one case of the disease, Oezdemir said on German radio Deutschlandfunk.

Germany announced the country’s first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in nearly 40 years on Jan. 10 in a herd of water buffalo on the outskirts of Berlin in the Brandenburg region.

Brandenburg’s state agriculture ministry confirmed the negative test result, saying: “At the current timepoint, there are still no indications of a spread of foot-and-mouth.”

The Brandenburg ministry said several emergency measures to contain the disease, including some restrictions on animal transport, will not be extended from Friday, but it stressed the quarantine zones around the case remain in force.

German authorities are intensively testing animals on farms in the area around the first case. Measures to contain the highly infectious disease, which poses no danger to humans, often involve bans on imports of meat and dairy products from affected countries, with Britain, South Korea and Mexico imposing import bans on Germany this week.

Foot-and-mouth disease causes fever and mouth blisters in cloven-hoofed ruminants including cattle, pigs, sheep and goats and in past decades needed major slaughtering campaigns to eradicate.

Oezdemir said on Friday Germany will continue intensive efforts to contain the disease and win back the trust of countries which have imposed import restrictions on German agricultural products.

A spokesperson for the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said on Thursday Germany’s efforts to stop the disease spreading would enable the regionalisation principle to be used.

Under this EU rule, sales of meat and dairy products are only restricted from the region where the disease has been confirmed and produce from elsewhere in the affected country can still be sold inside the EU.

Oezdemir said earlier Germany’s continued access to EU markets would depend on the lack of new cases.

— Reporting by Michael Hogan

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German authorities confirmed the country’s first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in nearly 40 years on Friday in a herd of water buffalo on the outskirts of Berlin in the Brandenburg region.

Testing of animals on farms had shown no new cases in an area of around one kilometre from the first case, the agriculture ministry in the state of Brandenburg said.

Investigations continue and the affected region has a ban on animal transport until Wednesday, it said.

Foot-and-mouth disease causes fever and mouth blisters in cloven-hoofed ruminants such as cattle, swine, sheep and goats and in past decades needed major slaughtering campaigns to eradicate. The highly infectious disease poses no danger to humans.

Germany’s federal agriculture ministry has warned that even one case could bring exports of the country’s meat and dairy products to outside the EU to a virtual standstill.

Due to the loss of free status from foot-and-mouth disease according to the requirements of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), numerous veterinary certificates for the export of products from ruminants and pigs in particular can no longer be issued, the ministry said.

Britain on Tuesday banned imports of pork and many other meat and dairy products from Germany to try to prevent the disease spreading to Britain. Between January and October 2024, the UK imported 117,340 metric tons of pork worth 448 million pounds (C$783.9 million) from Germany.

Germany is the third largest exporter of pork to the UK with an 18 per cent market share and the second largest exporter of dairy products with a 12 per cent market share, according to Britain’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.

“It means that ham, gammon and bacon as well as products like salami from Germany will not be allowed into the UK. As such we are expecting some disruption to supply,” Mandy Nevel, AHDB’s Head of Animal Health and Welfare, said.

The last cases of foot-and-mouth disease in Germany occurred in 1988, according to the FLI animal health research institute. The FLI said the disease occurs regularly in the Middle East and Africa, in many Asian countries and South America.

— Reporting by Michael Hogan

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But Parker, now with the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), wants to keep foot-and-mouth on the front burner. 

Canada’s livestock industry has seen big gains in the last several months, especially federal funds for a Canadian vaccine bank for foot-and-mouth disease. But the vaccines are only to be used to contain an outbreak. Current tests can’t differentiate between vaccinated animals and those previously infected by the disease, so using the vaccine before an outbreak would have punishing trade implications. So, if possible, we need to keep this plague out of the country. If it does hitch a ride with a traveller, we need producers and others in the livestock industry to know what it looks like and how to reduce the spread. 

Parker says recently they’ve received funding directed towards prevention and awareness of the disease. BCRC is working with several groups, including Animal Health Canada, to create resources for producers as well as for agricultural businesses employing temporary foreign workers, translated into other languages. You can find foot-and-mouth information on BCRC’s website.

One of the new resources is an animated video that follows two livestock producers as they travel to a country with foot-and-mouth disease. They see some wildlife and visit farms (honestly, it looks like a great trip). One follows recommended biosecurity practices upon returning, including staying away from her livestock for five days. The second producer, Richard, doesn’t so much as wipe his boots before returning to his farm and caring for his livestock. 

Don’t be like Richard, is the message of the video. Foot-and-mouth is a serious risk. 

“The scary part of it is this is one of the most hardy, transmissible viruses out there. It is an incredible powerhouse when it comes to transmission and spread,” says Parker. 

It can survive on hard surfaces for a “ridiculous amount of time.” It can travel through the air for several kilometres, depending on conditions. And although people don’t get sick from foot-and-mouth disease, we can carry it in our respiratory tracts and spread it to susceptible animals (as can other species, such as mice). Hence the recommendation that livestock producers sequester themselves for a few days upon returning. 

“It’s just an incredibly adaptable, strong virus that deserves our respect.” 

Still, Parker says they don’t want people to live in fear or feel like they must make “monumental” changes. 

“We at the BCRC just want to be the bird on everybody’s shoulder, reminding people that it’s the little things that we do every day that help protect our industry.” That means being mindful of things such as wearing your “going-to-town” boots to a stock show, instead of your chore boots, and washing them when you get home. Or, if you’re borrowing a stock trailer, washing it before you load your cattle and again before you return it. 

“We’re not asking you to stop doing all of the things that put your animals at risk. What we’re asking you to do is be mindful of that risk and mitigate it where possible. Those are the small things that will save our industry. And good biosecurity is good management from start to finish, from calf mortality to trade implications. Good biosecurity is just good for everybody.” 

On a personal note, a Canadian foot-and-mouth outbreak is the last thing I want to have to cover in this magazine. I do not want to witness and document the damage it will do — economically, to exposed livestock, or to the financial and mental health of ranchers and farmers, and those who must euthanize the affected livestock. I’ve read Larry McMurty’s first novel, Horseman, Pass By, talked to people, read lots of articles and watched films about this disease, and that’s as close as I want to get to experiencing it. 

We’re in a position to keep it out, so let’s do that.

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