Authorities in Hungary will bury cattle carcases from a farm where foot-and-mouth disease was found on Friday.
The disease was found in Hungary for the first time in 50 years last week on a 1,400 head farm, since confirmed to be a dairy farm, near the Slovakian border.
Hungary’s National Food Chain Safety Authority and local veterinary authorities have moved to apply the disposal solution with the lowest epidemiological risk when dealing with foot-and-mouth disease.
In order to minimise the possibility of spread, disposal is done by burial, and not by incineration, at a suitable location closest to the affected premises.
Given that foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious disease, the authorities are not transporting animal carcases to a distant factory for safe disposal, but rather burying them in a suitable area as close as possible to the outbreak of the disease.
A view of the farm in Hungary where foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed last week. \ Google Maps
“Long-distance transport would pose a significantly higher risk of spreading the infection,” the Hungarian authorities said.
Disposal has taken place in Bábolna, the nearest suitable area of the country entrusted with the disposal, which is about 20 minutes away from the infected farm.
Source of infection
Ireland’s Department of Agriculture has said that the virus serotype is not known yet and that investigation is underway to determine the source of infection.
It also confirmed that there have been no movements of foot-and-mouth-susceptible species (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, buffalo, camelids) into Ireland from Hungary or its neighbours Slovakia and Austria since 1 January 2025.
“A protection zone with a 3km radius and a surveillance zone with a 10km radius have been established [around the infected farm], within which strict controls apply, movement of susceptible animals is prohibited, and checks on livestock are underway.
“There is also a 10km restriction zone in Slovakia, close to the Hungarian border. Hungary has introduced a movement restriction of all susceptible animals in that region of the country for 72 hours.
“After that, only direct transport to slaughter will be permitted in the region until the 17 March,” it said.
All international movement of susceptible animals out of Hungary has been suspended until further notice.
Germany
Previously to the outbreak declared in Hungary, Germany confirmed the first case of foot-and-mouth disease in nearly 40 years on 10 January 2025.
The disease was detected in a water buffalo close to Berlin. The virus was serotype O, of a strain previously detected in Turkey and Iran.
Since the confirmation of that first outbreak, no further cases have occurred, and all surveillance samples have tested negative.
Read more
Foot-and-mouth found on 1,400 head cattle farm in Hungary
Negative tests rule out second outbreak of foot-and-mouth in Germany
Authorities in Hungary will bury cattle carcases from a farm where foot-and-mouth disease was found on Friday.
The disease was found in Hungary for the first time in 50 years last week on a 1,400 head farm, since confirmed to be a dairy farm, near the Slovakian border.
Hungary’s National Food Chain Safety Authority and local veterinary authorities have moved to apply the disposal solution with the lowest epidemiological risk when dealing with foot-and-mouth disease.
In order to minimise the possibility of spread, disposal is done by burial, and not by incineration, at a suitable location closest to the affected premises.
Given that foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious disease, the authorities are not transporting animal carcases to a distant factory for safe disposal, but rather burying them in a suitable area as close as possible to the outbreak of the disease.
A view of the farm in Hungary where foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed last week. \ Google Maps
“Long-distance transport would pose a significantly higher risk of spreading the infection,” the Hungarian authorities said.
Disposal has taken place in Bábolna, the nearest suitable area of the country entrusted with the disposal, which is about 20 minutes away from the infected farm.
Source of infection
Ireland’s Department of Agriculture has said that the virus serotype is not known yet and that investigation is underway to determine the source of infection.
It also confirmed that there have been no movements of foot-and-mouth-susceptible species (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, buffalo, camelids) into Ireland from Hungary or its neighbours Slovakia and Austria since 1 January 2025.
“A protection zone with a 3km radius and a surveillance zone with a 10km radius have been established [around the infected farm], within which strict controls apply, movement of susceptible animals is prohibited, and checks on livestock are underway.
“There is also a 10km restriction zone in Slovakia, close to the Hungarian border. Hungary has introduced a movement restriction of all susceptible animals in that region of the country for 72 hours.
“After that, only direct transport to slaughter will be permitted in the region until the 17 March,” it said.
All international movement of susceptible animals out of Hungary has been suspended until further notice.
Germany
Previously to the outbreak declared in Hungary, Germany confirmed the first case of foot-and-mouth disease in nearly 40 years on 10 January 2025.
The disease was detected in a water buffalo close to Berlin. The virus was serotype O, of a strain previously detected in Turkey and Iran.
Since the confirmation of that first outbreak, no further cases have occurred, and all surveillance samples have tested negative.
Read more
Foot-and-mouth found on 1,400 head cattle farm in Hungary
Negative tests rule out second outbreak of foot-and-mouth in Germany
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: