The year 2025 was a rollercoaster for animal health professionals worldwide. Several transboundary animal diseases previously considered geographically distant spread to countries that had not faced them for decades. For many professionals, this meant implementing full emergency response measures for the first time, often under intense time pressure and with direct and significant consequences for animal health and the economy.
These events tested preparedness and exposed vulnerabilities in modern livestock systems. At the same time, they reinforced the need to shift from short-term crisis response towards more resilient livestock production systems. While questions remain about how some diseases were introduced in an increasingly interconnected world, one lesson from 2025 is clear: Although not every disease introduction can be prevented, preparedness can always be strengthened before a crisis hits.
Against this backdrop, our team has identified key developments in animal health that underscore the evolving dynamics of transboundary animal diseases and the ongoing efforts required to control them.
The re-emergence of FMD in Europe began in January 2025 with the detection of FMD in water buffalo in Germany, marking the country’s first outbreak after 37 years of freedom. In March and April, further outbreaks were confirmed in Hungary and Slovakia, affecting several thousand animals. Genetic analyses showed that the virus detected in Slovakia matched the strain circulating in Hungary but was not closely related to the virus identified in Germany, suggesting at least two separate introductions, with the sources remaining unknown. Since then, all the outbreaks have been controlled, and the countries have regained their FMD-free status.
Read more: Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut / European Commission
Hungary reported its first outbreak of PPR in early 2025, linked to legally imported sheep from Romania. This made Hungary the third EU Member State within a year to confirm PPR, following earlier cases in Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania. Throughout 2025, PPR outbreaks spread across Eastern Europe, and later in the year, the disease had also reached Albania, Kosovo, and Croatia, underscoring its continued regional expansion.
FMD virus serotype SAT1, previously confined to sub-Saharan Africa, expanded beyond its traditional endemic areas in 2025, raising disease pressure in regions where livestock populations are largely naïve to this serotype. Confirmed cases were reported in Iraq, followed by Kuwait, Türkiye, and Egypt, with further spread reaching Azerbaijan by October. Media reports also suggest viral circulation in Iran. In response, the FAO issued alerts in April and November, followed by a rapid risk assessment in December, warning that SAT1 is very likely to spread to some of the currently unaffected countries in North Africa, Central, South, and Western Asia, as well as South-Eastern Europe.
Read more FAO alert April / FAO alert November / FAO Rapid risk assessment of FMD virus serotype SAT1 December
LSD re-emerged in Europe in mid-2025, marking the first reported outbreaks since 2018. Italy confirmed the initial outbreak in Lombardy in June, followed by cases in Sardinia. Shortly thereafter, France reported its first outbreak in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Both countries implemented emergency vaccination campaigns, covering approximately 650,000 cattle. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the viruses detected in Italy and France were closely related and linked to a Nigerian strain, although limited genomic data from North Africa constrained interpretation of transmission pathways. In October, Spain confirmed its first LSD outbreak near the border with France.
Later in the year, protests erupted in France over the government’s strategy to control LSD in cattle, which mandates culling the entire herd when an infected animal is detected. Many farmers view this approach as excessive and are advocating for selective culling combined with a comprehensive vaccination program.
Read more: European Commission / Animal Health Advisory Committee/ DEFRA / Protests in France
SGP showed a marked increase in outbreaks during the summer of 2025.The disease was first detected in northern Greece in August 2024 and subsequently spread to multiple regions of the country. More than 400,000 sheep and goats were culled as part of control measures to limit further spread. The prolonged outbreaks significantly affected the dairy sector, with small dairies reporting difficulties insourcing sheep’s milk. This raised concerns about potential feta cheese shortages, as approximately 80 percent of Greek sheep and goat milk is used for feta production.
Read more: Greek Government / DEFRA/ BBC - Feta cheese shortage
In November 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first human fatality associated with Avian Influenza A(H5N5), marking the first human infection with this subtype reported globally. Public health investigations indicated that the patient had exposure to backyard poultry and domestic birds. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) viruses, including A(H5N5), have been detected in wild birds and wild mammals across North America since 2023.
Iceland, once one of the last mosquito-free places on Earth, recorded its first sightings of the species Culiseta annulata in December 2025.This species, capable of surviving colder climates, is not a major disease vector but can transmit Tahyna virus and may impact local ecosystems. Its arrival highlights the northward expansion of mosquitoes due to climate change and underscores the need to monitor ecological and public health risks. With this development, Antarctica remains the only area still free of these pests.
For the first time since 1994, African swine fever (ASF) has been detected in wild boar in Spain. The first case was identified in November2025, and by mid-December 16 ASF-positive wild boar had been confirmed in the Barcelona area. The route of introduction remains unknown. Genetic analyses indicated that the detected strain differs from those circulating in other EU Member States, prompting further investigations to clarify its origin, including assessment of a potential laboratory-related source. As the largest pig producer in the European Union, Spain faces significant economic risks for the pork sector, while non-commercial movements of pork products from ASF-affected areas remain a concern for further spread.
Read more: Spanish Government / The Guardian
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