Brandenburg's Agriculture Minister Hanka Mittelstädt cautioned that the risk of reinfection persists, particularly from travel, food, and animal transport from infected regions.

Since mid-March 2025, trade restrictions on animal and dairy products were limited to a few kilometers around the infected farm in Brandenburg.

The Brandenburg Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that all tests on domestic and wild animals susceptible to FMD returned negative, allowing the country to achieve this status without resorting to vaccination.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) declared Germany free from FMD without vaccination, a status that was granted in mid-March 2025.

The outbreak, which was the first in nearly 40 years, was detected in January 2025 among a buffalo herd in Hönow, leading to a six-kilometer quarantine zone imposed by the EU.

This outbreak resulted in significant economic repercussions, with countries like Mexico, South Korea, and the UK imposing import bans on German meat and dairy products.

As of April 15, 2025, Germany has officially regained its status as free from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), following the lifting of a quarantine zone in Brandenburg where the outbreak occurred.

Despite the lifting of restrictions, the threat level remains heightened due to recent outbreaks in Slovakia and Hungary, necessitating ongoing biosecurity measures.

Mittelstädt urged animal owners to maintain strict biosecurity protocols, including cleaning and disinfecting, to prevent potential future outbreaks.

In addition to Brandenburg, the districts of Märkisch-Oderland and Barnim have also been restored to FMD-free status as part of this development.

The EU's policy of regionalization allows for the normal trade of products from outside the quarantine zone to continue, despite the previous restrictions.

Mittelstädt expressed relief over the lifting of the quarantine, calling it positive news for all animal keepers in the region and across Germany.