The entrance to the farm in Jurová. (source: TASR)
Slovakia is reintroducing temporary border checks with Hungary and Austria in response to the escalating foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, which authorities warn could spread to additional districts.
Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas) said on Monday that the situation remains serious and that any further outbreaks would place increased strain on already stretched police and emergency services. The measure will take effect on Tuesday, April 8, and remain in place until May 8.
"Although the presence of foot-and-mouth disease has not been confirmed in Austria, the measure is necessary due to the proximity of outbreak areas," the ministry stated. The Dunajská Streda and Malacky districts, where the disease has been reported, lie near the Austrian border.
Moreover, to ease pressure on police and border staff, Slovakia will temporarily close 16 border crossings with Hungary for one month. The closures affect routes in the Bratislava, Banská Bystrica, and Košice Regions. One crossing with Austria will also be shut during this period.
New outbreak in Jurová
A new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed in Slovakia on Friday, April 4, bringing the total number of affected sites to six. The latest case involves a farm housing around 870 bulls near the village of Jurová in the Dunajská Streda district of western Slovakia.
This marks the fifth outbreak in the same district, following earlier cases reported on farms in Medveďov, Ňárad, Baka and Lúč. A fifth outbreak had previously been identified in Plavecký Štvrtok, near Bratislava, all at the end of March.
The Plavecký Štvrtok farm is owned by FirstFarms, one of the country's largest agricultural groups. The Danish-owned company keeps around 3,000 cows, 150 heifers and 600 calves at the site. Culling of the livestock is expected to be completed by Monday. Once concluded, firefighters and veterinary staff will relocate equipment to Jurová to begin culling there the following day.
The latest case will financially impact the agribusiness group Exata, owned by major entrepreneurs Ján Sabol and Oszkár Világi, according to Denník N. Exata operates both the affected farm in Jurová and one of the first infected farms near the village of Baka, from which the virus may have spread.
So far, Exata has lost a total of 2,200 cattle across its Baka and Jurová farms. Only the Danish-owned dairy farm FirstFarms has suffered greater losses, with 3,500 animals affected.
On Friday, animals at a separate farm in Dolný Štál, in the Trnava Region, tested negative for the virus following earlier reports of a suspected outbreak.
Checks on farms
The Interior Ministry has also announced that it will carry out random inspections of farms this week, including the use of drones, following reports of illegal night-time animal transport. Approximately 93 farms located near the affected areas will be subject to checks.
"I urge all food producers to comply with the measures. We must do everything in our power to ensure they are effective. That’s why we are closing the borders — to free up police officers for inspections within the country," Interior Minister Šutaj Eštok said on April 4, adding that current containment measures are not being observed.
Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč (Smer) also called on farmers to take the containment measures seriously and not to underestimate the gravity of the situation.
An emergency situation has been in effect in Slovakia since March 25 due to the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.
