The recent outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in Germany ( announced 10th January) has garnered significant attention, not only domestically but also internationally.
FMD in Germany – an intro to trajectory of interest
The outbreak, initially reported on January 10th, sparked waves of discussion on social media, highlighting various perspectives and reactions. The proximity of the outbreak to Poland’s border amplified its impact in neighboring regions, triggering a cross-border discourse. Over the following week, emotions and narratives shifted as restrictions were imposed, rumors circulated, and false information spread, illustrating the dynamic nature of public and media engagement during such events.
Time evolution
We follow the keywords FMD, foot and mouth disease, pryszczyca, klauenseuche with Brand24.
Social media mostly reacted on 10th January (hot news). On 16-17.01 there was gossip about a outbreak suspected goat farm). This gossip drew huge interest (especially) in Poland. The release of restrictions on 17th January stopped most discussion and the topic died out.
Interactions in social media peaked 13-15.01. Even though the number of mentions in social media were high during the day of the outbreak declaration, they did not engage people as strongly as the restrictions. There are clear waves of interest in particular media (i.e. single Tiktok video reports on 14.01 garnering tens of thousands of likes https://www.tiktok.com/@tagesschau/video/7459827411618745633).
Topics
Discourse in German (place of outbreak), English (awareness of international community) and Polish (outbreak only ~50 km to Polish border).
Topic modeling revealed:
- Outbreak report – Statements and actions by local and national governments regarding disease containment. Discussions around the outbreak, its effects on livestock, and the preventive measures.
- Impact on Agriculture and Livestock – Economic consequences, trade restrictions, and challenges faced by farmers due to disease outbreaks I.e cattle, sheep, and goats were not showcased at Grüne Woche (Berlin Green Week). Challenges in the export of livestock and agricultural products (mainly pork) due to restrictions caused by the outbreaks
- Public health – Discussion on the effects of FMD on human health
- Intensive animal farming – Using the outbreak as a springboard to discuss animal rights.
- Zoo and Wildlife Management – Measures taken by zoos (East Berlin Zoo was in a 10km restriction zone) and wildlife parks (in Berlin and Brandenburg), such as closures (if in zone) and safety precautions due to the disease.
- International Effects and Concerns – Focus on specific countries like Poland (i.e., Veterinary control on the border with Germany) and UK ( regarding how the country previously fought the disease), where the disease may affect livestock production.
- Health and Safety Protocols – Mentions from different agencies and comments from the community about guidelines and measures implemented by authorities to ensure containment and avoid further spread.
- Disease Prevention and Vaccination – Discussion on preparedness and vaccination storage (a topic that appeared prominently) after restrictions were lifted on 17.01.
Emotions and the process of spreading information
There are different emotions during the day of the declaration and later on when restriction measures apply, etc. During 10.01 (the reporting tone was neutral). Since Sunday/Monday 12/13.01, when restrictions (such as export bans) were introduced, these topics dominated. For instance there were discussions about what to do with pork which cannot be exported.
FMD outbreak is clearly dominated by traditional news (typical for diseases affecting non-human hosts).
We see that rolls, reels and shorts are a means of information release; the general population gets information from digital sources.
We see that declaration at 8/9AM by the FLI/Brandenburg ministry of agriculture start a wave discussion.
There were almost no mentions (I do not only search via keywords but also manual screening of local forums) a day before declaration of outbreak (Thursday 9th January), when the Hazmat reaction team from Berlin Lichtenberg with veterinary service started proceeding with biosecurity measures in the farm and local neighbourhood.
We see that the declaration at 8/9 AM by the FLI/Brandenburg Ministry of Agriculture started a wave of discussion.
There were almost no mentions (we not only searched via keywords but also manually screening local forums) a day before the outbreak declaration (Thursday 9th January), when the Hazmat reaction team from Berlin Lichtenberg with veterinary service started implementing biosecurity measures in the farm and local neighbourhood.
Fake news
There is an interesting story of suspected cases in goats (in the Barnim district), which circulated both in the media as suspected, but also in some reports as fact.
“#MORE A second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been reported in eastern Germany, days after an outbreak led to widespread culling and trade restrictions. https://nordot.app/1252721126551928958”
Thus, this fake news circulated primarily 16-17.01. It was present also after official denial of this rumor.
Media phases of the crisis
| phase | interest | Main Topics | Main emotions | Main actors |
| 10.01 Declaration | Very high | Just reporting | Neutral reporting tone with note of Sadness | Various Traditional media |
| 11-12.01 Risk assessment | Low (weekend) | Local restriction | Mixed | Small local social media |
| 13.01 Measures implementation | medium | International restriction | Neutral with note of Disgust | Professional Traditional media |
| 14-15.01 Public awareness | Very high | Meaning for human health and economy | Negative with fear | High reach Social media |
| 16-17.01 Fake news | High | Fake news | Very negative, anger | Professionals |
| 18-19.01 Restriction release | Low (weekend) | Release of measures | Neutral with highest fraction of positive | Various Traditional and social media |
| After 20.01 Post factum discussion | Very low | Preparedness | neutral | Professionals |
Take home message
This text explores the trajectory of the FMD outbreak, emphasizing key dates, communication trends, and the interplay between public response and official measures. It delves into the social media discourse in three languages—German, English, and Polish—reflecting the local, international, and regional significance of the incident. Moreover, it examines the role of rumors and misinformation, such as the alleged second outbreak on a goat farm, which further shaped public perception and media coverage.
Through this analysis, we aim to provide insights into the communication dynamics surrounding the FMD outbreak, shedding light on how information dissemination and emotional responses evolve in the face of a public health and agricultural crisis.