Slovakia declares state of emergency over foot-and-mouth disease

(Photo: Pixabay)

The outbreak of the highly contagious disease affecting livestock was confirmed last week in cattle farms in three settlements in the southern part of Slovakia, in the Dunajská Streda district. In the affected region, and mainly in its three settlements, Baka, Medve and Csiliznyárad, emergency measures were already imposed over the weekend – including mandatory disinfection and restrictions on the transport of animals, and the forced slaughter of affected livestock began in accordance with an official decree. Slovak Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Richard Takác announced on Tuesday that the disease had been confirmed in another village, Lúcs, which is adjacent to the previously affected villages, and in the cattle herd there.

The infectious disease has now appeared in Slovakia for the first time in fifty years

The resulting situation was described as very serious by both the Slovak Minister of Agriculture and Prime Minister Robert Fico. The Slovak Prime Minister announced that the government would fully compensate for the financial damage caused by the disease. He stressed that saving and renewing the livestock population is a state and national interest, and this will definitely be done, even if it means amending the budgets of other ministries. The Prime Minister expressed his hope that the resulting damage will not exceed ten million euros.

MTI