FMD detected on a large cattle farm in Hungary
Authorities in Hungary have confirmed a case of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) at a farm with 1,400 cattle in Kisbajcs, a town in the northwest of the country near the border with Slovakia. This is the first case of FMD reported in the country in over 50 years, the National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) said.
“A farm with 1,400 cattle showed the classic symptoms of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in early March,” according to a statement by Nébih. After laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the disease, Hungary´s chief veterinary officer ordered the farm’s closure, the culling of its stock and an epidemiological investigation.
Movement ban
“The liquidation of the herd and the detection of the source of the infection are in progress,” Nébih added, noting, “In order to prevent the further spread of the disease, extremely strict official measures are in place, including a ban on the movement of susceptible species and their products.”
In January, Germany reported a few FMD cases in water buffalo farm, the first outbreak in the European Union since 2011, prompting several countries, including the UK, to stop German meat imports. In that German case, no further infections have been detected so far and the outbreak seems to be contained.
