The Rábapordány farm will be liquidated within hours, but the discipline of all livestock keepers is needed to stop the virus

(Photo: AM/Tibor Vermes)

The minister said that the authorities are doing a huge job on the farm, 875 cattle have been killed. He added that since there were also pigs on the farm – although no infection was found in them -, due to the proximity of the cattle, it is inevitable that the entire pig herd will be liquidated. Most of this has already been done, all animals will be killed by the evening, and they will be buried by Sunday – he indicated. According to the minister, pigs could become “virus factories” if the infection were to spread to them. “There is no other option, no matter how much our hearts ache, we must put them down as soon as possible so that we can save the other animals,” said István Nagy. The minister thanked animal health experts, police officers, disaster relief workers, civil guards, soldiers and government office staff for “working day and night, leaving their families and holidays behind.” He stressed, however, that protection is not only the responsibility of the authorities. It is the responsibility of every animal owner in the country to succeed in stopping this virus, he drew attention to this, adding that if animal owners are undisciplined and irresponsible, this virus will not stop. “Those who do not pay attention now will not be able to save anything tomorrow,” he underlined. He said: every person, every vehicle or device arriving at the farm can be a potential virus carrier. He also indicated that we have not had to deal with this virus for fifty years, which is why many people do not feel the danger. István Nagy recorded: the population is not in any danger, the virus is not dangerous to humans. The minister also drew attention to the public and political agitation surrounding the crematoriums. He said that the public’s opposition is understandable, but these locations are designated precisely because they are the most suitable and safest places for burial. “We can bury the animals to a sufficient depth, but far from the groundwater” – he pointed out.

He said: safety is also served by the fact that drinking water monitoring wells are operated at the sites

Animal keepers have also been required to keep a farm diary – he noted. István Nagy emphasized that unnecessary excitement slows down the defense process and creates a chance for the virus to spread, which must be avoided at all costs. “It is in our common interest to defeat the foot-and-mouth disease virus as soon as possible,” he stated.

MTI