On 23 June 2025, Italy notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of an outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) on a small cattle farm on the island of Sardinia. Italy immediately implemented emergency disease control and eradication measures. The department has conducted a risk assessment and due to further information determined that the date from which Italy should no longer be considered free from LSD is 6 March 2025 (previously 25 April 2025). Due to the specific context in which San Marino operates and its geographic proximity to Italy, the department has also determined that this country is also no longer free of LSD as of 6 March 2025.
An outbreak of LSD has since been reported in France on 30 June 2025 and on 19 July 2025, the Swiss Government commenced vaccinating cattle against LSD as a precautionary measure.
To manage the biosecurity risk to Australia, these countries have been removed from the LSD-free country list and the list of countries approved for bovine fluids and tissues.
Australia is free from LSD and has never had an incursion of the disease. An outbreak of LSD in Australia would be difficult to control and costly to eradicate as it may require extensive animal movement control and vaccination programs. To help manage the biosecurity risk to Australia, the department has undertaken a risk assessment and determined that Italy, San Marino, Switzerland and France are no longer considered free from LSD and have now been removed from the LSD-Free Country List and the list of Countries approved for bovine fluids and tissues. This will impact the importation of certain commodities (including dairy) to Australia.
The department will continue to monitor the situation in Europe closely and will update stakeholders if the disease spreads more widely. Any changes or updates will be communicated to industry on this website and via Import Industry Advice Notices and BICON Alerts.
Managing the biosecurity risk to Australia
Australia has removed Italy, San Marino, Switzerland and France from the LSD-Free Country List and the list of Countries approved for bovine fluids and tissues.
We are working with impacted importers to vary biosecurity import permits to reflect the new LSD status of Italy, San Marino, Switzerland and France, and to restrict the importation of high-risk goods that were sourced, manufactured or processed in these countries after the LSD cutoff date listed in Table 1 below.
| Country | Cutoff Date |
|---|---|
| Italy | 6 March 2025 |
| San Marino | 6 March 2025 |
| France | 28 April 2025 |
| Switzerland | 19 July 2025 |
Goods impacted by the outbreak
While we are committed to ongoing trade where it is safe to do so, the detection of LSD in Italy and France and the LSD vaccination program in Switzerland will have impacts for a wide range of goods that contain or are derived from LSD-susceptible species (e.g., cattle, water buffalo and wild bovids etc). These include, but are not limited to:
- Goods containing greater than 10% dairy by dry weight where the dairy is sourced, manufactured or exported from Italy, San Marino, Switzerland or France, other than commercially prepared and packaged chocolate. For further information regarding the impacts on dairy products, see ‘Changes to dairy import permit conditions’, below.
- Veterinary therapeutics containing or derived from bovine materials sourced, manufactured or exported from Italy, San Marino, Switzerland or France.
- Laboratory goods containing bovine fluids and tissues (including but not limited to animal fluids and tissues, culture media, foetal bovine serum and other laboratory materials) where the permit states bovine material is sourced, manufactured or exported from Italy, San Marino, Switzerland or France.
- Reproductive material derived from cattle, water buffalo and susceptible zoo animals (e.g., zoo bovids) sourced or exported from Italy, Switzerland or France. (Note: San Marino is not an approved country for the import of bovine reproductive material into Australia and its status remains unchanged by the spread of LSD to the region).
Any goods in transit will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and potentially subject to biosecurity measures. Assessment may include consideration of whether the product or ingredients were fully finished, sourced or exported from Italy, San Marino, Switzerland or France before the LSD cutoff date listed in Table 1 on this webpage.
Goods that pose an unacceptable biosecurity risk may be subject to biosecurity measures such as export, treatment or destruction. Importers and brokers who are unsure of the status of their goods should contact imports@aff.gov.au for advice before arranging the export of any goods from Italy, San Marino, Switzerland or France to Australia.
Goods NOT impacted
Goods that do not require country freedom from LSD, include but are not limited to:
- Goods containing less than 10% dairy by dry weight and no other ingredients of biosecurity concern for human consumption.
- Butter and cheese for human consumption.
- Lactose, solid chocolate (including imitation chocolate), and ghee for human consumption.
- Collagen, with a permit, for human consumption.
- Retorted meat (containing less than 5% meat) for human consumption, without a permit.
- Retorted dairy, meat, petfood and stockfeed, with a permit.
Impacts on import permit holders
To manage the biosecurity risks to Australia, we have initiated contact with permit holders and permit applicants impacted by the removal of Italy, San Marino, France and Switzerland from the LSD-Free Country List and the list of Countries approved for bovine fluids and tissues. We are now working with importers to vary import permit conditions to reflect the change in LSD-status.
It is expected that the changes to the LSD-status of Italy, San Marino, Switzerland and France will impact the import permit conditions for goods being imported into Australia containing or derived from LSD-susceptible species sourced, manufactured or processed after the LSD cutoff date for these countries listed in Table 1 on this webpage.
Changes to dairy import permit conditions
Following the release of the dairy review the department has reviewed the import conditions for dairy that require the goods to be sourced from, manufactured in, and exported from countries on the LSD-Free Country List.
The department has removed the LSD import conditions on dairy permits, and dairy goods are no longer required to be sourced from, manufactured in, and exported from countries on the LSD-Free Country List. The department has/will contact permit holder where the goods are manufactured in countries that have had an LSD incursion and the country of export listed on the permit is LSD and FMD free countries.
The decision to remove the condition for freedom from LSD aligns with the findings of the Import risk review for dairy products for human consumption - Final Report. The report found that the biosecurity risk of LSD in dairy was managed by pasteurisation or an approved heat treatment (as listed on the import permit).
Importing goods sourced, manufactured or processed before the LSD cutoff date
Importers may continue to import goods containing or derived from LSD-susceptible species that were fully finished, sourced and packaged for export or exported from Italy, San Marino, Switzerland or France prior to the LSD cutoff dates for these countries listed in Table 1 of this webpage and where all other import conditions are met. Importers/brokers may need to supply evidence of the date of sourcing, manufacturing or processing before goods can be released from biosecurity control. The additional requirements may cause delays in releasing your goods from biosecurity control.
Enroute shipment of goods sourced, manufactured and processed after the LSD cutoff date
The goods already enroute to Australia will be assessed on a case-by-case basis upon arrival at the border.
Goods assessed as having an unacceptable level of biosecurity risk may be subject to biosecurity measures such as export, treatment or destruction.
Importers and brokers that are unsure of the status of their goods should contact imports@aff.gov.au for advice before arranging for the export of any product to Australia.
Goods sourced, manufactured and processed after the LSD cutoff date
The cutoff dates refer to the date when the LSD-susceptible species derived component of the goods was sourced, processed or manufactured in Italy, San Marino, Switzerland or France.
Viable LSD virus could be introduced into the products if contamination with ingredients sourced from infected animals occurs during processing.
Accordingly, products manufactured after the LSD cutoff dates for these countries listed in Table 1 of this webpage may not be permitted entry into Australia and may be directed for export, treatment, or destruction with the exception of composite dairy products which meet additional risk management requirements.
Regionalisation agreements
Australia does not have established regionalisation agreements for imports from any country for LSD.
The Australian Government can undertake its own evaluation according to the existing policy which is outlined in Evaluation of animal health status of countries, zones and compartments for imports of animals and products of animal origin, available on our Import request page.
Chocolate and goods containing dairy
Goods containing less than 10% dairy by dry weight and solid chocolate, including imitation chocolate, for human consumption, can continue to be imported into Australia from Italy, San Marino, Switzerland or France. The goods still need to meet the relevant import conditions specified on BICON.
Testing products
Testing products for LSD is not considered an acceptable alternative to sourcing, processing and manufacturing goods in countries that are approved by the department as being LSD free.