News item | 24-01-2025 | 08:33
Test results show that no animals in the Netherlands have been found with FMD. That is why Minister Femke Marije Wiersma of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) has decided to scale down the measures taken. This concerns the removal and visitor ban for veal calf farms. A limited number of 3754 samples will be retested to be sure. The companies in question are still individually blocked by the NVWA. As soon as these test results are known and favorable, the blockade will also be lifted for these companies. It is expected that all results will be known early next week.
Minister Wiersma: “The past few weeks have been very exciting for the sector – and also for me. I sincerely hope that next week we will have the situation definitively under control and we can conclude that we have had a very extensive practical exercise, which has put everyone involved on alert with regard to FMD. The past few weeks have once again shown that it is important to be well prepared for animal diseases. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone involved for their enormous efforts.”
Test results
Since December 1, the NVWA has examined and sampled a total of 3,754 animals, which were brought in from Brandenburg, the German region where the FMD virus was detected on a farm. None of these animals had symptoms consistent with FMD. Test results are now known for all these animals.
A number of samples tested for antibodies against the FMD virus using an ELISA test have shown a positive result. Given the large number of tests, this is as expected. Sometimes the ELISA test gives a false positive result. The samples with a positive ELISA result are re-examined with a virus neutralization test. This provides a definitive answer. This concerns a total of 29 samples. The first 12 retests have already been carried out and these results were all negative. The last 17 results will probably be known early next week. These 17 samples come from 12 companies. The holders in question are of course in tension about the outcome. They will be informed by the NVWA when these results are known.
Measures scaled down
There is no longer any reason to maintain the removal and visitor ban for all veal calf farms in the Netherlands. It is sufficient to maintain restrictions for the remaining 12 companies that are currently being retested. That is why the Minister of LVVN is lifting the removal and visitor ban as of Friday, January 24. The companies for which the results of the retest are not yet known are individually blocked by the NVWA. When the test results are known and are favorable, the blockade of the company in question will be lifted. All results are expected to be known early next week.
Situation Germany
LVVN keeps a close eye on developments in Germany. Fortunately, no new infections have been found yet. Germany has no longer extended the general transport restrictions imposed by the state of Brandenburg now that it has been shown that no other companies are infected with FMD. The restriction and surveillance zones of 3 and 10 kilometers around the affected water buffalo farm will remain in force until at least February 11, in accordance with European animal health regulations.