FMD is the most feared animal disease in the world. Highly contagious in ruminants like cows, pigs, sheep and goats, it rarely kills livestock, but causes fever, loss of appetite, and blisters in the hooves and mouth that require the whole herd to be culled.
Germany is recovering from its own FMD scare in January, when an outbreak in water buffalo triggered expensive emergency measures, costing up to €1 billion in lost exports and prompting bans in the U.K., Mexico, and South Korea.
The German outbreak has been contained, but European authorities fear a repeat of a 2001 epidemic in the U.K., which cost the agricultural and tourism sectors over €15 billion and led to the slaughter of more than 6 million animals.
Commission officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This story has been updated.
