24 September 2026: Outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Namibia
Updated 30 September 2026
© Crown copyright 2026
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OVS note number: 2026/45
Purpose
To inform you that, due to a recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Namibia, consignments from Namibia of fresh bovine meat, fresh ovine and caprine meat and animal by-products that have not undergone a form of risk-mitigating treatment should be held.
Background
Namibia has notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of an outbreak of FMD in cattle, reported through the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS).
The outbreak occurred near Namibia’s southern border with South Africa, in an area from which imports of fresh meat of certain FMD-susceptible species are permitted (see territory code NA-1 in the fresh meat of ungulates list).
Defra will in due course implement import restrictions on commercial imports of the following commodities from Namibia:
- fresh bovine meat
- fresh ovine and caprine meat
- fresh meat from farmed and wild non-domestic ruminants
- certain animal by-products (if required)
A separate OVS note will be issued when these restrictions are implemented. In the meantime, any consignments from Namibia of fresh meat of the above species or animal by-products derived from those species should be held. Further mitigating treatments for animal by-products will be detailed in due course.
Please note that bovine, ovine and caprine meat products from Namibia must be subjected to treatment ‘B’ in accordance with Annex II, Part 4 of Assimilated Decision 2007/777, which mitigates FMD virus. As a result, consignments of these products do not need to be held.
Contact point for enquiries
Email: imports@apha.gov.uk
Imports and EU Trade Team