The entrance to the the farm in Jurová. (source: TASR)
A new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed in Slovakia on Friday, 4 April, 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 still under way and 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.
Closed border crossings
Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas) warned that the situation remains serious, with a risk of the disease spreading to further districts. He noted that with police resources already stretched thin, further outbreaks would place additional strain on law enforcement and emergency personnel.
To alleviate pressure on manpower, the Interior Ministry has proposed the temporary closure of 17 border crossings with Hungary, located in the Bratislava, Banská Bystrica and Košice Regions. One border crossing with Austria is also expected to be shut down. The government is expected to approve the measure during its session on Monday.
The ministry also announced plans to carry out random inspections of farms, including the use of drones, following reports of illegal animal transport occurring at night.
"I'd like to urge all food producers to comply with the measures. We must do everything in our power to ensure their effectiveness. That's why we're closing the borders — to free up police officers for inspections within the country," said Šutaj Eštok.
Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč (Smer) has also urged all farmers to adhere strictly to the containment measures and not to downplay the severity of the situation.
