CENTRAL EUROPE GRAPPLES WITH FOOT-AND-MOUTH OUTBREAK, BORDER CLOSURES AND MASS CULLING ENSUE

An Emirati Magazine publication – Released on April 12, 2025 | www.emiratimagazine.com

A foot-and-mouth disease outbreak is disrupting Central Europe, prompting mass culling and border closures between Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria. First detected in early March on a cattle farm in northwestern Hungary, the virus has since spread to six more farms across Hungary and Slovakia—marking the region’s first outbreak in over 50 years. Nearly 3,000 cattle were culled in the Hungarian town of Levél, leaving locals like entrepreneur and hunter Sándor Szoboszlai devastated. “Everything is completely upside down,” he told AP.

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The highly contagious virus affects cloven-hooved animals and spreads rapidly through contact or contaminated objects. Disinfection efforts in Hungary have faced challenges, with chemical mats proving ineffective. Slovakia and Austria responded by closing dozens of border crossings. The Czech Republic introduced truck disinfection protocols as a precaution. Meanwhile, Hungarian officials hinted at a possible “biological attack,” though evidence is lacking. Financial aid and loan relief have been promised to impacted farmers.