Recommendations to travellers due to the FMD

Recommendations to travellers due to the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in Europe.

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) has been confirmed in the United Kingdom(UK) and other European countries. This is a highly infectious animal disease, which can easily be carried with live animals, animal products such as raw meat and milk, people, clothes and shoes. This viral disease does not affect humans. Even in an area that has not been declared infected, animals can be in the incubation phase before clinical signs appear and thus be transmitting the virus.

It is therefore most important that those who have been travelling in UK, or other infected countries, take every precaution to prevent the introduction of FMD into Iceland. The Chief Veterinary Officer urges all travellers coming to Iceland from FMD infected countries to follow strictly the following precautionary measures:

§ There is a TOTAL ban on taking any raw meat or milk to Iceland. If food is carried in luggage, please declare this to Customs.
§ Only clean clothes and shoes, that have not been worn on farms or around farm animals, should be taken and worn in Iceland.
§ However, if clothes and shoes that have been worn in FMD infected countries are taken to Iceland, they should be placed in a plastic bag and either kept that way during the stay or thoroughly dry cleaned and disinfected in Iceland.
§ Particular attention should be paid to shoes. They need to be disinfected with "Virkon S" or other equivalent products. This product can be bought from stores selling products to farms or from veterinarians. Chlorine is rather ineffective against the FMD virus. After disinfection the shoes should not be worn in Iceland for five days.
§ Direct contact with farm animals should be avoided for the first five days in Iceland.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping FMD out of Iceland.