Foot-and-mouth disease SAT1 strain spreads to Cyprus and Greece in early 2026, triggering EU trade restrictions

Summary

Cyprus confirmed a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in cattle and sheep on February 19, 2026, followed by a second outbreak in Greece on March 15-17. Both involve the SAT1 serotype, which is distinct from the O and A serotypes behind the 2025 European outbreaks in Germany, Hungary and Slovakia. SAT1 is normally associated with sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East; its appearance in the Eastern Mediterranean indicates a separate and as yet unconfirmed introduction pathway, possibly via livestock imports or live animal movement from North Africa or the Levant. The UK government applied trade restrictions on Greek commercial imports of live susceptible animals, hay, straw, fresh meat, dairy products and animal by-products following the Greek notification. Neither outbreak has been confirmed to have spread to domestic herds on the European mainland.

The split

UK farming media and industry bodies led the coverage, framing the SAT1 outbreaks as a trade and livestock biosecurity risk and detailing the UK government's import restrictions. Continental European coverage was more muted. Non-European coverage was almost entirely absent, despite the fact that FMD SAT1 is endemic across much of sub-Saharan Africa and the outbreak's origin almost certainly lies in that belt. African veterinary media did not substantively cover the Eastern Mediterranean emergence.

By the numbers

• February 19, 2026, date of the Cyprus SAT1 FMD confirmation
• March 15-17, 2026, date of the Greek SAT1 FMD confirmation
• 3, distinct FMD serotypes in Europe across the 2025-26 period (O, A, SAT1)
• 0, domestic FMD cases in the UK as of July 2026
• 25 years, elapsed since the UK's catastrophic 2001 FMD epidemic that led to the slaughter of 10 million animals

Why it matters

The SAT1 serotype's presence in Cyprus and Greece represents a qualitatively different risk from the 2025 Central European outbreaks: it implies a novel introduction pathway into the EU that biosecurity measures were not designed to intercept. If SAT1 establishes itself in wild animal populations in the Eastern Mediterranean, it could become as entrenched as ASF has in European wild boar, creating a permanent re-introduction reservoir for EU livestock. The UK's border restrictions also serve as an early indicator of what a confirmed EU-wide SAT1 spread would trigger in global livestock trade.

What to watch

• Epidemiological investigation results identifying how SAT1 entered Cyprus and Greece.
• Whether the outbreaks are contained to the initial sites or spread to mainland EU countries.
• The European Commission's review of live animal import regulations from the Middle East and North Africa.
• UK surveillance for any FMD detection at livestock farms or at border inspection posts.