Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been confirmed within a cattle herd on the Greek island of Lesvos, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
The disease was detected on the Greek farm on Sunday, March 15, with its presence being confirmed by veterinary officials the following day.
WOAH stated that this is the first outbreak in Greece since 2001, marking 25 years since FMD was last detected in the country.
Greece
Lesvos is located east of mainland Greece in the northern Aegean Sea, with the Greek island residing just off the coast of Turkey.
Following the outbreak, the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food has put several control measures in place, such as culling, zoning, and movement controls on the region.
Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food, Christos Kellas said that the government is actively monitoring for any developments and that it will be taking action “until the disease is fully eradicated.”
The Greek minister noted: “I would like to reassure consumers that there is no risk to public health, and to assure farmers that the ministry will stand by them as long as needed.”
UK
In light of the recent outbreak in Greece, the UK chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers and other livestock keepers to watch out for the clinical signs of FMD.
The UK government has also imposed restrictions on certain Greek commercial imports, such as milk, colostrum, feta, and yoghurt, to Great Britain.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) stated that these imports will only be permitted if the products have undergone the required heat treatment and are accompanied by the mandatory health certificate.
Similar to Ireland, there has been no cases of FMD in the UK since 2001.
Cyprus
However, the disease has seemingly been making the rounds around the Mediterranean recently, with FMD also being confirmed in Cyprus last month.
The first case this year was detected on February 20, 2026, on a cow farm near Livadia, in the popular tourist region of Larnaca.
Since then, more cases in cattle and also in sheep and goats have been detected in other farms in Livadia and also the Oroklini region.
