Austria will close 21 border crossings on the border with Hungary and two on the border with Slovakia to prevent the entry of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) into the country, the Austrian Interior Ministry said on Friday.
“In order to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, in particular its entry into Austria’s border regions, some border crossings will be temporarily closed from April 5, 2025,” the ministry said in a press release posted on its website.
On March 7, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) announced that Hungary has reported an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle for the first time since 1973. According to Hungary’s National Food Chain Safety Authority, the case of FMD was detected on a farm on the border with Slovakia.
Following the discovery of the outbreak, Hungarian authorities ordered to start sanitary and epidemiological measures. On April 2, the country’s agriculture minister said that the authorities had brought in the military to oversee the quarantine and strengthen disinfection measures.
Earlier this week, Slovak authorities confirmed a fifth case of FMD in the country and sent military personnel to assist police and fire services in enforcing restrictions on animal movement and decontaminating vehicles.
