Both Hungary and Slovakia have confirmed further outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

Hungary has confirmed a second case, while Slovakia has confirmed a fourth outbreak.

The Hungarian case was detected on a dairy farm in the region of Gyor-Moson-Sopron, on the border with Slovakia. This is also the same region as the first outbreak.

According to Hungarian authorities, first physical symptoms appeared on 25 March in the herd, which has 3,000 head of cattle.

Vets began vaccinating the herd on Wednesday morning in order to reduce the spread of the virus until the farm is liquidated.

Slovakia case

In Slovakia, authorities confirmed a positive result in samples taken from cattle breeding on the Malý Lúc farm in the Dunajská Streda district on Wednesday.

This fourth outbreak involves 279 animals and is located in a restricted zone for FMD.

The first case of foot-and-mouth in these two countries was confirmed in Hungary in early March, while three farms in Slovakia went down with the disease last week.

In an attempt to curb the spread of the disease, a grazing ban has been imposed in an area of Hungary.

The ban was introduced this Tuesday, along 10km of the border with Slovakia, until 7 April.

These are the first cases in both countries in 50 years. All cloven-hoofed animals on farms where FMD was detected were culled.

Alongside the grazing ban imposed by Hungary’s chief vet, cattle and sheep must be kept in sheds and the slaughter of pigs by the end of March will be mandatory in the surveillance area near Slovakia.