{"id":57167,"date":"2026-04-25T07:52:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T06:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/?p=57167"},"modified":"2026-04-25T07:53:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T06:53:19","slug":"emergency-measures-introduced-to-safeguard-malta-against-foot-and-mouth-disease-serotype-sat-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/25\/emergency-measures-introduced-to-safeguard-malta-against-foot-and-mouth-disease-serotype-sat-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Emergency measures introduced to safeguard Malta against Foot and Mouth Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"background-color: #ffff00;\"><strong>The Food Safety and Security Authority, within the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, is issuing a set of emergency measures with immediate effect in response to the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) serotype SAT 1 in Europe.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Following recent outbreaks reported in Cyprus and Greece, and in line with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) statement issued on 15 April 2026 calling for enhanced vigilance, Malta is adopting precautionary measures to protect animal health, safeguard the agricultural sector, and ensure food security.<\/p>\n<p>These measures are being implemented in accordance with the Veterinary Services Act (Chapter 437), Article 15 (2) and (5).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Key Emergency Measures<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With effect from 21 April 2026, the following measures shall apply:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mandatory Quarantine:<\/strong><br \/>\nAll entries into Malta of ruminants and swine from European Union Member States shall be subject to a mandatory quarantine period of fourteen (14) days, at the expense of the owner, prior to release.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Import Ban from Non-EU Countries:<\/strong><br \/>\nThe importation of ruminants and swine from countries outside the European Union is strictly prohibited.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Restrictions on Persons from Risk Zones:<\/strong><br \/>\nAny individual who has passed through a protection or surveillance zone shall not, for a period of fourteen (14) days from arrival in Malta, enter or visit any location where ruminants or swine are kept.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Vehicle Restrictions:<\/strong><br \/>\nVehicles transporting animals shall not be permitted entry into Malta if they have transited through protection or surveillance zones while these measures are in force.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Movement Control Within Malta:<\/strong><br \/>\nThe movement of ruminants and swine within Malta is prohibited unless expressly authorised by the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) within the Food Safety and Security Authority.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Enhanced Biosecurity Measures:<\/strong><br \/>\nAll farms holding ruminants and\/or swine are required to strictly follow biosecurity instructions issued by the CVO, whether published or communicated directly.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Restrictions on Animal Products:<\/strong><br \/>\nProducts or objects derived from ruminants and\/or swine originating from protection or surveillance zones are prohibited from entering Malta for both commercial and personal use.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Measures for Non-Susceptible Species:<\/strong><br \/>\nAnimal species not susceptible to FMD but originating from protection or surveillance zones shall be subject to specific precautionary measures, including hoof cleaning and safe disposal (incineration) of excrement.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Closure of Petting Farms:<\/strong><br \/>\nPetting farms hosting ruminants and swine shall remain closed to the public while these measures are in force.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Waste Disposal Controls:<\/strong><br \/>\nFood waste or waste derived from cooking or food processing from maritime and aerial transport (including boats, vessels, and aircraft) must either be incinerated in approved facilities or not disposed of within Malta.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These precautionary measures are intended to prevent the introduction and spread of Foot and Mouth Disease in Malta and to protect livestock, farmers, and the wider economy. The Authority urges all stakeholders and the general public to fully comply with these regulations. Further updates will be provided as necessary.<\/p>\n<p>For further information, the public may contact the Food Safety and Security Authority on the <strong>24\/7 on-call<\/strong> telephone number on<strong> +356 99170532 <\/strong>or send an email to\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:info.fssa@gov.mt\">info.fssa@gov.mt<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_57167\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"57167\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 -70 221 -36 32 -101 37 -139 11z\"\/><path d=\"M1163 3073 c-36 -7 -73 -59 -73 -102 0 -56 133 -378 171 -413 34 -32 83 -37 129 -13 70 36 67 87 -16 290 -86 209 -89 214 -129 231 -35 14 -42 15 -82 7z\"\/><path d=\"M3689 3066 c-15 -9 -33 -30 -42 -48 -48 -103 -147 -355 -147 -375 0 -98 131 -148 192 -74 13 15 57 108 97 206 80 196 84 226 37 273 -30 30 -99 39 -137 18z\"\/><path d=\"M583 2784 c-38 -19 -67 -74 -58 -113 9 -42 211 -354 242 -373 16 -10 45 -18 66 -18 51 0 107 52 107 100 0 39 -1 41 -124 234 -80 126 -108 162 -133 173 -41 17 -61 16 -100 -3z\"\/><path d=\"M4250 2784 c-14 -9 -74 -91 -133 -183 -95 -150 -107 -173 -107 -213 0 -55 33 -94 87 -104 67 -13 90 8 211 198 130 202 137 225 78 284 -27 27 -42 34 -72 34 -22 0 -50 -8 -64 -16z\"\/><path d=\"M2275 2693 c-553 -48 -1095 -270 -1585 -649 -135 -104 -459 -423 -483 -476 -23 -49 -22 -139 2 -186 73 -142 361 -457 571 -626 285 -228 642 -407 990 -497 242 -63 336 -73 660 -74 310 0 370 5 595 52 535 111 1045 392 1455 803 122 121 250 273 275 326 19 41 19 137 0 174 -41 79 -309 363 -465 492 -447 370 -946 591 -1479 653 -113 14 -422 18 -536 8z m395 -428 c171 -34 330 -124 456 -258 112 -119 167 -219 211 -378 27 -96 24 -300 -5 -401 -72 -255 -236 -447 -474 -557 -132 -62 -201 -76 -368 -76 -167 0 -236 14 -368 76 -213 98 -373 271 -451 485 -162 444 86 934 547 1084 153 49 292 57 452 25z m909 -232 c222 -123 408 -262 593 -441 76 -74 138 -139 138 -144 0 -16 -233 -242 -330 -319 -155 -123 -309 -223 -461 -299 l-81 -41 32 46 c18 26 49 83 70 128 143 306 141 649 -6 957 -25 52 -61 116 -79 142 l-34 47 45 -20 c26 -10 76 -36 113 -56z m-2057 25 c-40 -58 -105 -190 -130 -263 -110 -324 -59 -707 132 -981 25 -35 42 -64 37 -64 -19 0 -241 119 -326 174 -188 122 -406 314 -532 468 l-58 71 108 103 c185 178 428 349 672 473 66 33 121 60 123 61 2 0 -10 -19 -26 -42z\"\/><path d=\"M2375 1950 c-198 -44 -350 -190 -395 -379 -18 -76 -8 -221 19 -290 114 -284 457 -406 731 -260 98 52 188 154 231 260 27 69 37 214 19 290 -38 163 -166 304 -326 360 -67 23 -215 33 -279 19z\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Food Safety and Security Authority, within the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, is issuing a set of emergency measures with immediate effect in response to the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) serotype SAT 1 in Europe. Following recent outbreaks reported in Cyprus and Greece, and in line with the World [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_57167\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"57167\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 -70 221 -36 32 -101 37 -139 11z\"\/><path d=\"M1163 3073 c-36 -7 -73 -59 -73 -102 0 -56 133 -378 171 -413 34 -32 83 -37 129 -13 70 36 67 87 -16 290 -86 209 -89 214 -129 231 -35 14 -42 15 -82 7z\"\/><path d=\"M3689 3066 c-15 -9 -33 -30 -42 -48 -48 -103 -147 -355 -147 -375 0 -98 131 -148 192 -74 13 15 57 108 97 206 80 196 84 226 37 273 -30 30 -99 39 -137 18z\"\/><path d=\"M583 2784 c-38 -19 -67 -74 -58 -113 9 -42 211 -354 242 -373 16 -10 45 -18 66 -18 51 0 107 52 107 100 0 39 -1 41 -124 234 -80 126 -108 162 -133 173 -41 17 -61 16 -100 -3z\"\/><path d=\"M4250 2784 c-14 -9 -74 -91 -133 -183 -95 -150 -107 -173 -107 -213 0 -55 33 -94 87 -104 67 -13 90 8 211 198 130 202 137 225 78 284 -27 27 -42 34 -72 34 -22 0 -50 -8 -64 -16z\"\/><path d=\"M2275 2693 c-553 -48 -1095 -270 -1585 -649 -135 -104 -459 -423 -483 -476 -23 -49 -22 -139 2 -186 73 -142 361 -457 571 -626 285 -228 642 -407 990 -497 242 -63 336 -73 660 -74 310 0 370 5 595 52 535 111 1045 392 1455 803 122 121 250 273 275 326 19 41 19 137 0 174 -41 79 -309 363 -465 492 -447 370 -946 591 -1479 653 -113 14 -422 18 -536 8z m395 -428 c171 -34 330 -124 456 -258 112 -119 167 -219 211 -378 27 -96 24 -300 -5 -401 -72 -255 -236 -447 -474 -557 -132 -62 -201 -76 -368 -76 -167 0 -236 14 -368 76 -213 98 -373 271 -451 485 -162 444 86 934 547 1084 153 49 292 57 452 25z m909 -232 c222 -123 408 -262 593 -441 76 -74 138 -139 138 -144 0 -16 -233 -242 -330 -319 -155 -123 -309 -223 -461 -299 l-81 -41 32 46 c18 26 49 83 70 128 143 306 141 649 -6 957 -25 52 -61 116 -79 142 l-34 47 45 -20 c26 -10 76 -36 113 -56z m-2057 25 c-40 -58 -105 -190 -130 -263 -110 -324 -59 -707 132 -981 25 -35 42 -64 37 -64 -19 0 -241 119 -326 174 -188 122 -406 314 -532 468 l-58 71 108 103 c185 178 428 349 672 473 66 33 121 60 123 61 2 0 -10 -19 -26 -42z\"\/><path d=\"M2375 1950 c-198 -44 -350 -190 -395 -379 -18 -76 -8 -221 19 -290 114 -284 457 -406 731 -260 98 52 188 154 231 260 27 69 37 214 19 290 -38 163 -166 304 -326 360 -67 23 -215 33 -279 19z\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":57168,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-57167","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-local-news"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-e1777099912969.jpg",500,262,false],"thumbnail":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-150x79.jpg",150,79,true],"medium":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-300x157.jpg",300,157,true],"medium_large":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-e1777099912969.jpg",500,262,false],"large":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-e1777099912969.jpg",500,262,false],"1536x1536":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-e1777099912969.jpg",500,262,false],"2048x2048":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-e1777099912969.jpg",500,262,false],"td_0x420":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-e1777099912969.jpg",500,262,false],"td_80x60":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-80x60.jpg",80,60,true],"td_218x150":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-218x150.jpg",218,150,true],"td_324x400":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-324x300.jpg",324,300,true],"td_696x0":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-e1777099912969.jpg",500,262,false],"td_1068x0":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-e1777099912969.jpg",500,262,false],"td_100x70":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-100x70.jpg",100,70,true],"td_265x198":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-265x198.jpg",265,198,true],"td_324x160":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-324x160.jpg",324,160,true],"td_324x235":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-324x235.jpg",324,235,true],"td_356x220":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-356x220.jpg",356,220,true],"td_356x364":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-356x300.jpg",356,300,true],"td_533x261":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-533x261.jpg",533,261,true],"td_534x462":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-534x300.jpg",534,300,true],"td_696x385":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-e1777099912969.jpg",500,262,false],"td_741x486":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-e1777099912969.jpg",500,262,false],"td_1068x580":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-e1777099912969.jpg",500,262,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Bernard Lynch","author_link":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/author\/bernardlynch\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The Food Safety and Security Authority, within the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, is issuing a set of emergency measures with immediate effect in response to the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) serotype SAT 1 in Europe. Following recent outbreaks reported in Cyprus and Greece, and in line with the World&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57167"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57170,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57167\/revisions\/57170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}