If your livestock are showing signs of foot-and-mouth disease, immediately call the
Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888
(free call within Australia)
This section provides a wide range of additional foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) resources and links from various organisations including practical tools, videos, fact sheets, posters and more.
About FMD
Watch this short video on what you need to know about foot-and-mouth disease developed by New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary Industries.
FMD image gallery
For pictures of FMD symptoms in livestock, check out Animal Health Australia’s image galleries for:
Note: these pictures have graphic content that may upset some people.
Trade situation in Hungary and Slovakia
On 7 March 2025, Hungary notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of an outbreak of FMD in a herd of dairy cattle. To help mitigate the risk of FMD spreading, a 3 km protection zone and a 10 km surveillance zone around the impacted premises has been established, which also comprises territory in neighbouring Slovakia. On 21 March 2025, an FMD outbreak was also reported in Slovakia.
To manage the biosecurity risk to Australia, we have removed both Hungary and Slovakia from our FMD-free country list and suspended imports that require country freedom from FMD.
Trade situation in Germany
On 10 January 2025, Germany notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of an outbreak of FMD on a small farm of 14 water buffaloes. Germany immediately implemented emergency disease control and eradication measures. No further cases of FMD were reported in Germany beyond the initial farm. On 14 April 2025, WOAH reinstated the ‘FMD-free country where vaccination is not practised’ status for the whole of Germany.
The Australian Government has completed a detailed technical evaluation of Germany’s FMD status and an accompanying biosecurity risk assessment and is satisfied that Germany is free from FMD, with effect from 14 April 2025. Germany has now been added to the Director of Biosecurity’s FMD-Free Country List and other relevant commodity-specific lists.
Note that restrictions remain in place on the import of goods containing or derived from FMD-susceptible species sourced from and/or manufactured in Germany from 14 November 2024 until 14 April 2025, unless alternative risk management measures are in place.
Livestock producers
Foot-and-mouth disease industry fact sheet – Download
FMD industry fact sheet (PDF 1 MB)
FMD industry fact sheet (DOCX 159 KB)
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Learn how to identify FMD in your livestock.
To access free farm biosecurity advice and resources visit the farm biosecurity website.
Check out the following online resources for livestock producers:
- information on livestock biosecurity at events (Animal Health Australia)
- a quick guide to compensation and valuation in an EAD response (Animal Health Australia)
- information on what a national livestock standstill means (Animal Health Australia)
- an article on four ways to protect your livestock and livelihood (Meat & Livestock Australia)
- a webinar on practical actions for livestock producers (Meat & Livestock Australia)
- what you need to know about FMD and lumpy skin disease (Meat & Livestock Australia)
- how to identify and respond to FMD (Australian Lot Feeders’ Association)
- read about the impact of FMD on our wool industry (Australian Wool Innovation).
Dairy
The following resources have been developed by Dairy Australia:
- information on emergency animal disease preparedness for dairy farms.
Pig
For information on biosecurity for pigs, including downloadable fact sheets and posters on FMD and swill feeding, visit Australian Pork Limited’s website.
Also check out how to develop a biosecurity management plan and resources for pig keeping and production (Australian Pork Limited).
Alpaca
Read about alpaca biosecurity from the Australian Alpaca Association.
Meat processing
An emergency animal disease response training program for the red meat processing sector, developed by the Australian Meat Processor Corporation.
Retailers
Download
Foot-and-mouth disease preparedness and response information for the retail sector (DOCX 122 KB)
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Travellers and mailing goods
Foot-and-mouth disease fact sheet – Download
FMD fact sheet (PDF 387 KB)
FMD fact sheet (DOCX 216 KB)
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Read the fact sheet to understand the goods you must declare and what happens if you don’t.
Learn how to clean your shoes to stop the spread of FMD.
Check what is permitted entry to Australia when bringing or mailing goods.
Veterinarians
Find out more about our FMD national response arrangements including the role of vaccination in responding to an incursion.
Work with the Northern Australia Biosecurity Surveillance Network (NABSnet) to improve general surveillance for animal pests and diseases.
For information on important emergency animal diseases that do not exist in Australia or that are rare get the guide - Emergency Animal Disease Field Guide for vets.
To access free FMD resources for veterinarians and veterinary paraprofessionals, visit Queensland government’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries webpage.
For information specific to dairy veterinarians and service providers, check out Dairy Australia’s biosecurity information webpage.
Wildlife
For information on how FMD could affect native wildlife, check out Wildlife Health Australia’s exotic fact sheet.
Media enquiries
For media enquiries visit our News and media centre, email us or phone (61 2) 6272 3232.