Bundes army fights against mouth and claw disease: 140 working hours in action!

Bundes army fights against mouth and claw disease: 140 working hours in action!

Dunajská Streda, Slowakei - On April 2, 2025, the Austrian Armed Forces published its balance sheet after a week of intensive missions to contain the mouth and claw disease in Slovakia. Since March 26, 2025, the disaster aid unit of the Federal Army, the Austrian Forces Disces Relief Unit (Afdru), with a total of 53 soldiers and 18 vehicles, has been supporting the combating of the virus.

In the first seven days of the operation, remarkable progress was made. The team worked over a total of over 140 working hours and decontaminated more than 3,000 trucks. Around 120,000 liters of water and 1,200 liters of chemicals were used. The decontamination measures take place primarily at the Rajka border crossing between Hungary and Slovakia, where large vehicles are treated to prevent the spread of the virus

operational goals and measures

The main objectives of this use are not only in decontamination, but also in combating the virus that broke out in a water buffalo in Brandenburg. According to tz.de , the specific virus type, known as serotype o, from the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut. The virus has spread in the region and it is important to examine all the claws in the area for the pathogen.

The Afdru carries out a round-the-clock decontamination, which includes around 25 vehicles per hour. To make this measure effectively, around 1,000 liters of water and 100 liters of chemicals are used every hour. The Federal Army has particularly emphasized through its special unit in international disaster relief technology and is part of the European disaster protection mechanism.

further measures and outlook

The expected duration of the operation is estimated for another two weeks. This mission is co -financed by the European disaster protection mechanism, which illustrates international cooperation in crisis situations. The measures are designed to effectively stop the spread of the mouth and claw disease and thus to secure local animal husbandry.

The measures in Slovakia and in Brandenburg form a crucial step in the fight against the mouth and claw disease and show the willingness and efficiency of the European support systems.