Hungary: Foot-and-mouth disease spreads, second outbreak confirmed

A second positive case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was confirmed at a cattle farm in Levél, Győr-Moson-Sopron county, on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. The new outbreak follows the March 7 identification of the disease at another cattle farm in Kisbajcs, also in Győr-Moson-Sopron county, and the March 21 identification of the disease at three cattle farms in South-West Slovakia, across the border from Győr-Moson-Sopron county, on the north bank of the River Danube.

Restrictions announced on Tuesday, March 25

Previously, on March 25, the National Food Chain Safety Office (NÉBIH) has announced further restrictions on the order of Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Szabolcs Pásztor due to the infections confirmed in Slovakia.

In Győr-Moson-Sopron County, a ban on grazing has been introduced in the 10 km border zone until April 7. Within the surveillance zone established due to the outbreaks in Slovakia, which overlap into Hungary, all cattle and sheep must be kept in enclosed facilities during this period.

Pig farmers, and private pig livestock owners in the restricted areas are also affected as all pigs must be slaughtered by March 31. Small-scale household farmers may opt for home slaughter, but they must notify the local veterinary authority in advance, as samples will still be taken from the slaughtered animals. Alternatively, the authorities can carry out the slaughter, with governmental compensation for the owners.

Second infection identified on Wednesday, March 26

News of a second infection at a cattle farm in Levél broke Wednesday morning. Levél is near the city of Mosonmagyaróvár, 50 kilometers from Kisbajcs, where the first outbreak occured . The affected farm has 3,000 heads of cattle. The culling of the herd will start within a few days, but on Wednesday morning, officials from the local government office started vaccinating the animals. This is an important temporary measure, according to NÉBIH, because the virus can spread through the air rapidly and to great distances when carried by the wind, so stopping the virus is paramount. 

The livestock farmer in question commented to the press that they noticed suspicious symptoms among the animals the day before, with some drooling, slobbering and foaming at the mouth, some udders blistering and one heifer starting to limp. Officials took blood samples from the animals and the laboratory results have confirmed the presence of the disease. Experts are also concerned by the fact that there is also a large pig farm in the vicinity of the cattle farm, the portal adds.

NÉBIH states on its website that several restrictive measures have come into effect in the Győr and Mosonmagyaróvár districts. The timely slaughter of susceptible backyard animals plays a crucial role in preventing the spread of the epidemic. Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Pásztor has extended the option of home slaughter to all susceptible species in these districts. The local authorities must be notified in advance of the slaughter date to facilitate sample collection.