Hungary, Slovakia on high alert as foot-and-mouth disease spreads

HUNGARY AND SLOVAKIA – Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is rapidly spreading in Central Europe, with Hungary and Slovakia recently confirming new outbreaks, prompting heightened biosecurity measures and emergency vaccination campaigns.

Hungary’s National Food Chain Safety Office confirmed two additional cases of FMD on April 2 at cattle farms in the Győr-Moson-Sopron county. 

The disease was identified in herds in the settlements of Darnózseli and Dunakiliti, home to 1,000 and 2,500 cattle, respectively. Both farms showed classic FMD symptoms on April 1; laboratory tests confirmed the virus a day later.

These new infections come less than a month after Hungary reported its first FMD case in over 50 years. That initial outbreak, confirmed on March 7 in Kisbajcs near the Slovakian border, involved a 1,400-head cattle farm. 

A second outbreak followed in Levél on March 26, where 3,000 dairy cattle were vaccinated and prepared for possible culling.

Slovakia battles fifth confirmed outbreak 

Authorities have said Slovakia, which has also been FMD-free for over five decades, is now grappling with its fifth confirmed outbreak. 

The most recent case was discovered on a large farm in Plavecký Štvrtok, which houses 3,750 cattle. The village is close to the Austrian and Czech borders, around 30 kilometers from Bratislava.

Officials confirmed that the Slovakian farm was directly connected to the Hungarian outbreak in Levél. Emergency vaccination efforts have begun in both countries, and containment zones have been enforced around affected farms.

“This is a serious situation requiring swift and coordinated regional action,” said a spokesperson from Slovakia’s animal health authority.

Since March 21, the disease has affected more than 6,000 cattle in Slovakia. Cross-border coordination has intensified as veterinary teams race to contain the outbreak.

Adding to regional concern, Germany also confirmed its first FMD case in nearly 40 years earlier this year. The virus was found in a herd of water buffalo in Brandenburg, though no further cases have been detected in domestic or wild animals since.

FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and deer. 

Symptoms include fever, blisters in the mouth and on the feet, drooling, and lameness. While rarely fatal, the disease severely impacts animal health and productivity. 

The standard response often includes mass culling, as seen in the devastating 2001 UK outbreak, where more than 10 million animals were slaughtered.

With three EU Member States now reporting outbreaks, authorities are urging vigilance and strict adherence to animal health protocols.

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