MKS outbreak in Brandenburg: Red alarm level for pet owners!

In Brandenburg, a break in the mouth and claw disease (MKS) was found in a water buffalo herd. Prominent reporting came from the Süddeutsche Zeitung on 12 January 2025 reported that the Märkisch-Oderland district currently knows no further confirmed MKS cases. However, the authorities checked the companies within a protective zone for the affected pasture in Hönow and tested the animals.

As a precaution, all pigs and other claws were killed in a radius of one kilometer around the site. The pasture affected in Hönow was disinfected on Saturday evening. In order to prevent possible virus spread by wild animals, the fire brigade and civil protection have built a fence around the area. It remains unclear how the virus got into the herd with 14 buffalos. Germany has been considered MKS-free for over 30 years, and no outbreaks have been recorded in Europe for years. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute (Fli) provides information about the variant of the pathogen, with related viruses in the Middle East and Asia.

vaccine can be produced quickly

The FLI has also announced that a suitable vaccine can be produced within a few days. This message offers hope for cattle breeding in the region and shows the reactionability of the health authorities in relation to the current outbreak.

In related reports the SPIEGEL Identification of the virus type in the water buffalo herd in Brandenburg and provided further information on the measures taken so far.