Hungary will introduce disinfection measures at border crossings and highways after two more farms in the northwest of the country reported cases of foot-and-mouth disease, Agriculture Minister István Nagy has announced.
The new cases add to growing concerns over the spread of the highly contagious livestock disease.
The government will set up 160 km-long disinfection points at all border crossings from the village of Rajka to the city of Esztergom, requiring vehicles to be disinfected before entering or leaving Hungary.
Additional disinfection stations will be installed on a 67 km stretch of the M1 motorway between the villages of Hegyeshalom and Bőny, with mats placed to prevent the virus from spreading beyond the region.
The Hungarian Defence Forces will assist in enforcing the new measures to ensure round-the-clock virus control under strict conditions, Nagy said in a video posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, authorities will begin culling infected cattle in the coming days to contain the outbreak.
The situation has sparked concerns among residents of Hegyeshalom, a village near the affected farms, where trucks are transporting dead animals for disposal.
Many fear that the burial site, located about five kilometers from the village, could contaminate drinking water.
“They did not ask the village’s opinion, but the authorities had to make a quick decision on where to bury the animals,” Hegyeshalom’s mayor, László Szőke, said, adding that initial assessments suggest the water supply is safe, though confirmation is still pending.
Foot-and-mouth disease, while not a risk to humans, can cause severe economic losses in agriculture due to its impact on cattle, sheep and pigs.
