Bratislava – Slovakia has confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth disease on three cattle farms located in the Komárno and Dunajská Streda districts in the southern region of the country. This announcement was made by Richard Takáč, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Slovakia (Smer-SD), prior to a government meeting on Friday. The disease has also been reported in other EU countries, including Hungary and Germany, earlier this year, according to TASR.
“Foot-and-mouth disease and lameness have been detected on three farms in southern Slovakia, which poses a significant and serious challenge. I would like to inform everyone that the National Commission for Diseases will meet immediately after the government meeting,” said the Agriculture Minister. Slovakia has been closely monitoring the situation in neighboring Hungary, and on March 18, the State Veterinary and Food Administration of Slovakia (ŠVPS SR) provided breeders with guidelines to safeguard their farms against this highly contagious disease.
On Friday, the minister emphasized the importance of the national commission convening to work alongside the veterinary and food administration in efforts to prevent the virus’s further spread.
“I am confident that together we can contain and manage this issue. We haven’t seen this here in 50 years,” Takáč stated.
In such situations, Slovakia is required to adhere to the Council Directive 2003/85/EC regarding EU measures for the control of foot-and-mouth disease. This directive was established in November 2003, requiring EU member states to implement it into national legislation by June 30, 2004.
Minister Takáč emphasized that if the viral infection is detected in any herd, it will be necessary to cull the entire herd.
“Our collective responsibility is to take every measure to stop the virus from spreading, and afterward, we will also consider compensation for the impacted agricultural entities,” Takáč explained. (March 21)
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