A month has passed since the last confirmed outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Hungary, but it is too early to lose vigilance. Let's figure out why.
What is foot-and-mouth disease and why is it dangerous?
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is an acute viral disease of animals transmitted to cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, other cloven-hoofed animals, and also humans. It is a transboundary virus that spreads very quickly through:
- transport and equipment
- feed and drinking water
- shoes, clothing, even human respiratory tracts
- contact with infected wild or domestic cloven-hoofed animals
- products of animal origin
According to WOAH data presented at the EU committee meeting:
- In Slovakia: 7,490 head of cattle destroyed
- In Hungary: 8,466 head of cattle slaughtered on infected farms, and an additional 846 cows (two farms with 539 and 307 cows) preventively sent for sanitary slaughter.
- In Germany: 14 water buffalo destroyed on a farm near Berlin
In total, over the past 4 months, 12 directly infected farms have been recorded in Central Europe, PigProgress reported: 6 in Slovakia, 5 in Hungary, and 1 in Germany.
On 6 of the 12 farms, more than 1,000 head of cattle were kept, including the largest dairy farm that was completely destroyed due to confirmation of FMD - in Slovakia, near the village of Plavecký Štvrtok, where 3,521 head of cattle were kept.
The total number of slaughtered and dead animals due to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in Central Europe since the beginning of 2025 reaches 26,704.
Why does Ukraine need vigilance?
Ukraine is officially free from FMD, but given the speed and scale of the spread among neighbors, the risks are high, and the consequences for the economy are catastrophic: border closures, export restrictions, colossal financial losses from the loss of all farm animals, and resources for their destruction.
Therefore, biosecurity is not a recommendation, but an obligation!
It is possible to protect oneself by acting proactively.
Vigilance, prevention, transparent information are the basis for the protection of Ukrainian animal husbandry and food security!
Infographics on the risk levels of various agents and pathways for the introduction of the foot-and-mouth disease virus – from a post on Facebook by Iryna Makovska, DVM, PhD, Ghent University, see below.
Reminder: Instructions for the prevention and elimination of foot-and-mouth disease: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/z1087-17#Text
Video recording of the AMU and SSUFSCP webinar "Risk of foot-and-mouth disease and bluetongue: what Ukrainian dairy farms need to know": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQbly2Spty0
Press Service of the Association of Milk Producers
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