Meat exports from Germany have been halted following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) last week — the country’s first in 37 years. Authorities discovered the outbreak in a herd of water buffalo outside Berlin last week. All livestock transport in the state of Brandenburg, which surrounds Berlin, has been halted. FMD is a viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, goats and deer. It is highly infectious and spreads through direct contact with infected animals, contaminated feed, equipment, clothing, or airborne particles.