Budapest authorities reported on Friday that the highly contagious animal disease is back in the country after more than 50 years.
Foot-and-mouth-disease (FMD) was detected on a farm of 1,400 cattle in the Hungarian region of Kisbajcs, right next to the Slovakian border.
The virus mainly affects cattle, sheep, goats and pigs and can spread rapidly through herds. FMD made a comeback in Europe in January with a case in a buffalo herd in Germany.
It was last detected on the continent in 2011, in Bulgaria.
The EU livestock industry had breathed a sigh of relief after the isolated case in Germany did not spread within and beyond the country, but the outbreak in Hungary raises fears of severe economic losses.
The 2001 FMD outbreak in the UK led to the culling of more than six million animals, with direct and indirect costs approaching €6 billion.
Following the confirmation of the case in Kisbajcs, Hungary’s chief veterinarian closed the farm and launched an epidemiological investigation to trace the origin of the disease, which is endemic in several parts of Asia and most of Africa.
“Extremely strict official measures will be implemented, including a ban on the transport of susceptible live animal species and their products,” said the press release from the Hungarian National Food Chain Safety Office.
Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro and Valentin Friedl contributed to the reporting.
[ADM/DE]