Morocco halts animal feed imports from Germany amid foot-and-mouth disease outbreak

The National Federation of Cereal and Legume Traders in Morocco announced Thursday that the country has suspended imports of animal feed from Germany following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. 

Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral infection that affects cloven-hoofed animals, causing fever, sores in the mouth and hooves, and potential lameness.

Omar El Yacoubi, president of the federation, told Reuters that this includes a ban on all untreated plant-based animal feed from Germany due to the disease’s spread.

Earlier reports from the German news agency stated that Germany had recorded its first case of foot-and-mouth disease in nearly 40 years, with three buffaloes in the Märkisch-Oderland district of Brandenburg, eastern Germany, dying from the disease.

Foot-and-mouth disease is a viral, highly contagious illness that primarily affects cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, and other animals like elephants and rodents, though horses are rarely affected and it rarely infects humans. The main danger lies in the virus’s ability to mutate and form new, more dangerous strains, leading to severe losses in livestock production.

The disease is particularly harmful to grazing animals, causing mobility loss, reduced appetite, and significant weight loss. It also leads to complications such as abortion, infertility, reduced milk production for up to six months, and other long-term health impacts.