Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)- “Situation remains worrying”

Spread the love

Read Time:1 Minute, 56 Second

In Hungary, just 24 kilometers from the Austrian border, there is a new case of foot-and-mouth disease.

Even though there is no reported case of the highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Austria, “The situation in the affected countries of Hungary and Slovakia remains worrying”, according to a press release from the province of Salzburg. State Veterinary Director Peter Schiefer reports a new case in Hungary, which is why the greatest possible caution is still required, especially when returning from the Easter vacation.

“The new outbreak in Hungary has once again affected a dairy farm with more than 850 animals. These must now be culled and disposed of as quickly as possible,” says State Veterinary Director Peter Schiefer, describing the dramatic situation in Hungary, around 24 kilometers from the Austrian border.

The provincial veterinary director appeals to everyone: “To be safe, raw animal products from Hungary and Slovakia should not be imported. No one should stay near potentially infected farms or FMD-restricted zones!”

Among other things, importing live animals that could be infected with the virus and raw milk and fresh meat from the affected restricted areas in Hungary and Slovakia into Austria is still prohibited. This also applies to hunted game and hunting trophies during hunts abroad. Appropriate checks are carried out at the national borders. “This disease is so easily transmissible that, in my opinion, we must do everything we can to prevent it from being introduced,” Schiefer said urgently.

The virus is transmitted not only from animal to animal but also via contaminated material such as clothing and shoes. Therefore, it is particularly important for farmers and people who keep cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats at home, as well as camelids such as llamas and alpacas, to avoid contact with potentially infected farms in FMD restricted zones abroad.

In general, it is already recommended that on domestic farms, access by people from outside the farm to animals that may contract the disease is minimized to what is necessary. If this cannot be completely prevented, hygiene and disinfection measures must be observed. In this context, the State Veterinary Directorate recommends thorough hand washing, hand disinfection, wearing your own stable clothing, and access only via a disinfection tub.