On Friday, February 27, 2026, France lifted the last remaining restrictions on animal movement that had been imposed due to lumpy skin disease in cattle. This infectious disease, which is not dangerous to humans, causes significant economic losses in livestock farming. The decision marks a return to normalcy in agriculture after a period of strict veterinary controls and herd movement bans aimed at containing the spread of the virus.
Lifting of the last restrictions
On Friday, February 27, 2026, French veterinary authorities officially abolished the last zone subject to restrictions regarding lumpy skin disease in cattle. This means the restoration of freedom of animal movement throughout the country.
Characteristics of the disease
Dermatosis nodulaire (lumpy skin disease, LSD) is a viral infectious disease of cattle, transmitted mainly by blood-sucking insects. Although it does not pose a threat to public health, it causes high fever, skin nodules, and a drop in milk production, generating serious economic losses for breeders.
Economic effects and controls
The previously introduced restrictions, including bans on moving animals from infected areas and mandatory vaccinations, aimed to control disease outbreaks and minimize losses in the breeding sector. Their lifting is a positive signal for the market.
The French agricultural sector is returning to normal operation after the lifting on Friday, February 27, 2026, of the last restrictions related to the occurrence of dermatosis nodulaire, known as lumpy skin disease (LSD) in cattle.
The administrative decision marks the end of a period of special veterinary restrictions, which included, among other things, bans on moving animals from specific areas. This disease, caused by a virus from the Poxviridae family, attacks only cattle and does not pose a direct threat to human health. Its main clinical symptoms are high fever, the formation of characteristic, hard nodules on the skin, and swelling of the lymph nodes. Consequently, this leads to a significant drop in milk yield, loss of body weight in animals, and in some cases even death, generating serious economic losses for breeders.
Lumpy skin disease was first described in Zambia in 1929. For decades, its occurrence was mainly limited to Africa and parts of Asia. However, since the beginning of the 21st century, its geographical expansion has been observed. In 2015, the disease was first recorded in Europe, in Greece, from where it spread to the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Its appearance in France was part of this broader, concerning trend in the region. To curb the spread of the virus, French veterinary services implemented various control measures. These included the mandatory culling and disposal of dead or sick animals, quarantine of infected herds, and disinsection of the breeding environment to reduce the population of insects that are vectors of the disease. A key tool was also an intensive campaign of protective vaccination of cattle in threatened areas. „La dernière zone réglementée pour la dermatose nodulaire sera levée vendredi” (The last regulated zone for lumpy skin disease will be lifted on Friday) — Press source The lifting of the last restrictions is the result of these coordinated actions and the improvement of the epizootic situation. For French breeders, this means the end of cumbersome procedures and a return to standard commercial trade of animals, which should positively impact the stability of the meat and dairy markets in the country.