Slovakia confirms fourth foot-and-mouth disease outbreak

Slovakia's National Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease has confirmed another positive FMD result in samples taken from a cattle breeding farm in the Dunajská Streda district. More than 270 animals were affected in the country's fourth confirmed FMD outbreak. According to Slovakian authorities, the outbreak is located in the currently defined surveillance zone for FMD.

Last week Slovakia confirmed three cases of FMD from cattle farms near the the Slovak-Hungarian border. More than 2,700 animals (1,699 dairy cows, 501 calves, 492 heifers and 79 bulls) were impacted.

Slovakia is the third EU Member State to confirm an outbreak of FMD this year. In January, Germany reported its first case in nearly 40 years in a herd of water buffalo in Brandenburg. Since then authorities have not detected any further cases in livestock or zoo and wild animals. On March 7, Hungary reported its first case of FMD in more than 50 years. Detected on a cattle farm in Kisbajcs, near the Slovakian border, authorities noted the 1,400 head of cattle showed classic FMD symptoms at the beginning of March.

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