Foot-and-mouth disease reappears in Hungary after 50 years

The laboratory of Hungary’s National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) has confirmed the presence of the foot-and-mouth disease virus on a cattle farm with 1,400 head in Kisbajcs, after characteristic symptoms were detected in early March. The disease, which is highly contagious and has severe economic consequences, had not been recorded in the country for more than 50 years. FMD does not have an effect in human health.

In response to this situation, the Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Szabolcs Pásztor, ordered the immediate closure of the farm and the launch of an epidemiological investigation to determine the origin of the outbreak. Additionally, extremely strict measures were implemented, including a ban on the transport of susceptible animals and their products, to prevent the spread of the virus.

Currently, efforts are underway to eradicate the outbreak and trace its origin. Authorities urge farmers to strictly follow biosecurity regulations and report any suspected cases of the disease to their veterinarians.

This is the second outbreak of the disease in a short period of time in the EU, as in January, Germany also detected an outbreak of the disease on a backyard farm with 14 water buffalo in Hoppegarten, Märkisch-Oderland, Brandenburg. The last outbreak in Europe, before the reappearance in Germany after 37 years, was recorded in Bulgaria in 2011.