Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. While it poses little risk to humans, its economic impact on the meat and dairy supply chain is significant, leading to reduced milk production, lower livestock weight, international trade restrictions, and high disease control costs.
Emergence of a New FMD Strain
In early May 2025, the FAO reported a mutated FMD strain of the SAT1 group in Iraq and Bahrain. This exotic strain for West Asia and Western Europe raised concerns about rapid regional spread. Following this warning, FAO urged countries to quickly update their vaccines.
Delay in Vaccination
Despite FAO’s call for urgent vaccine updates, Iran continued using older vaccines, resulting in widespread livestock losses and a sharp decline in milk production. The exact routes of virus entry are not yet officially confirmed, but possible sources include the movement of imported livestock from Kazakhstan to Iraq, calves purchased from Pakistan, and contaminated transport equipment.
Although the Veterinary Organization eventually allocated 300 billion IRR for free livestock vaccination, this delayed response could not prevent the initial economic damage.
Direct Impact on Raw Milk Production
FMD is one of the leading causes of reduced milk production. In the early months of the outbreak, about 3,000 tons of raw milk—10% of the country’s daily output—was lost. This supply drop, combined with rising feed costs, pushed raw milk prices from 20,000 IRR to over 35,000 IRR, fundamentally altering dairy pricing.
Rising Prices and Production Challenges
Simultaneously, ineffective subsidy policies, a currency crisis, and long queues for foreign exchange prevented the import of key raw materials such as rennet, starters, and stabilizers, limiting production capacity. The dairy industry requires roughly $600 million in raw materials annually, and reduced production has put it at serious risk. Altogether, these factors contributed to the sharp increase in raw milk prices.
Is the New FMD Strain Dangerous to Humans?
FMD is primarily an animal disease, and human infection is extremely rare. In the few cases of close contact with infected animals, symptoms are usually mild, including fever, fatigue, and small blisters, and resolve naturally. The newly identified strains show no evidence of increased risk to humans. The main concern remains livestock health, milk production, and the economic consequences for the food and dairy industries.
Summary
The current raw milk crisis in Iran results from the simultaneous impact of several factors: the outbreak of the new FMD strain and delayed vaccination, feed shortages and currency challenges, and ineffective government support. Together, these pressures have severely affected farmers, factories, and consumers, and if left unresolved, may have long-term consequences for the country’s food security and public health.
Reference:
https://ir-dis.org/fa/%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/news