The infection at a new farm located far from previous outbreak sites has raised concerns in neighboring countries, particularly Austria and the Czech Republic, as the virus creeps closer to their borders. There are suspicions that the virus may have been transmitted by humans from Hungarian farms to Slovakia. Additionally, there are fears that the disease could spread to pigs, as FirstFarms also operates swine facilities in Slovakia.
In response to the outbreak, Austria announced the closure of two minor border crossings with Slovakia and 21 crossings with Hungary starting April 5, in an effort to prevent the spread of FMD into its territory. The Austrian Ministry of the Interior stated that police efforts would focus on controlling traffic at major checkpoints to enhance effectiveness.
Hungary is also implementing measures to contain the spread. The country is facing FMD for the first time in 50 years, prompting the government to deploy military personnel and introduce new disinfection protocols in the northwestern region, near the borders with Slovakia and Austria. As of early April, Hungary had registered three FMD cases, affecting a total of 3,500 head of cattle.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral infection affecting cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. While it poses no risk to humans, its economic impact on the livestock sector can be severe due to trade restrictions and the need to cull infected animals.
At the European Union level, the principle of regionalization is in place, allowing trade restrictions to be applied only to affected regions rather than entire countries. This means that products from disease-free areas can continue to be exported, thus mitigating the economic consequences of FMD outbreaks. However, the effectiveness of this approach depends on the speed of outbreak detection and control, as well as the level of trust between EU member states.
For now, the situation in Central Europe remains tense, and regional authorities continue to take precautionary measures to prevent further spread of the disease.