Hungary enacts strict measures to curb livestock disease spread
The Hungarian Minister of Agriculture, István Nagy, has announced new measures to limit the spread of foot-and-mouth disease in the country. He also assured the public that the situation was under control, and no new outbreaks had been reported.
The announcement was made during a Saturday press conference by Minister Nagy, who emphasized that the disease management is effective and no new outbreaks have been detected. On Friday, the government in Budapest established a special task force to combat the disease.
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The new measures include a ban on the importation of animals into Gyor-Moson-Sopron county, where outbreaks were first detected in early March. The export of animals is permitted only to designated slaughter locations. The police have been engaged in farm inspections, and all animal exhibitions have been banned, with the local zoo being closed.
Minister Nagy also announced a one-year moratorium on loan repayments for livestock breeders. Currently, there are about 3,500 infected cattle in Hungary. Hungarian authorities remain in constant contact with Slovak authorities, where outbreaks have also been detected.
Situation in the region
These are the first cases of foot-and-mouth disease in Hungary since 1973. On Friday, the Slovak Ministry of Agriculture confirmed the sixth outbreak of the disease in the country. In response to the threat, Austria has closed more than 20 border crossings with Slovakia and Hungary.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease that affects both farm and wild animals. Although it poses no threat to humans, if an outbreak occurs, all animals on affected farms must be culled.
