The district administrator of Märkisch-Oderland expresses his sincere thanks to the districts of Spree-Neiße, Dahme-Spreewald and Prignitz as well as to the responsible state office, which are actively supporting the testing of farms in the surveillance zone for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). We would also like to thank the Hönow volunteer fire department, the affected municipalities and the employees of the veterinary office and the crisis team of the district of MOL for their decisive support at short notice.
The latest measures to contain and monitor FMD pose considerable challenges for the authorities and businesses in the district of Märkisch-Oderland.
Thanks to the support of the Brandenburg districts and the state of Brandenburg by sending specialist personnel, the complex testing of the affected livestock farms can be carried out within a very short time and the protection of the farms and animals can be guaranteed.
"We are very grateful for the quick, competent and selfless help of the districts of Spree-Neisse, Dahme-Spreewald and Prignitz. This support is making a significant contribution to keeping the situation under control and implementing the necessary safety measures. It shows once again how valuable inter-municipal cooperation is in such challenging times," emphasizes District Administrator Gernot Schmidt.
The district of Märkisch-Oderland would like to thank everyone involved for their tireless efforts and excellent cooperation. This collective effort not only strengthens safety in the region, but also sends a strong signal of solidarity and cooperation across district borders.
Notification of animal owners
Every owner from Märkisch-Oderland of cloven-hoofed animals must notify the veterinary office of their keeping, stating their name, address and the number of animals expected to be kept on average over the year, their type of use and their location, in relation to the respective animal species, if they have not already done so. (in accordance with the general ruling of 10.01.2025)
Contact Veterinary Office:
veterinaeramt@landkreismol.de
Tel: 03346/850-6969 or -6901
Fax: 03346/850-6909
Further information
On January 10, 2025, a first outbreak of foot and mouth disease was officially confirmed in the district of Märkisch-Oderland, in Hoppegarten OT Hönow. Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease in cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, camelids as well as zoo and wild animals.
The district has established a 3-kilometer protection zone and a 10-kilometer surveillance zone by general decree. In a radius of 1 kilometer around the outbreak herd in the district of Märkisch-Oderland, the herds with susceptible animals were examined and sampled by the veterinary offices. In this area, the precautionary killing of the listed animal species was ordered. This involved the outbreak herd of 14 water buffalo, 3 of which had already died, and a further herd of 4 sheep. The samples sent in were tested positive by the state laboratory for the water buffalo herd and negative for the sheep herd.
The samples taken in the MOL protection zone were found to be negative. This means that there is currently no further outbreak of the disease within a radius of 3 kilometers. On January 16, quicklime will be distributed at the site of the outbreak as a further measure to extinguish the viruses.