Border closures in Austria: Alarm for mouth and claw disease!

Border closures in Austria: Alarm for mouth and claw disease!

On April 7, 2025, the majority of the main committee in Austria decided to close several border crossings to prevent the intake of the mouth and claw disease (MKS). This measure is implemented by a prescription by the Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, which affects two border crossings to Slovakia and 21 transitions to Hungary until May 20. The affected transitions include Angern-March/Zahorska Ves and German Jahrndorf-Rajka. There is a cross -party agreement on the committee of the need for these measures to protect agriculture and animal welfare, according to the statements of MPs such as Andreas Kühberger (ÖVP) and Lukas Hammer (Greens) [ots] reports that ...

Die Schließung betrifft insbesondere kleinere Grenzübergänge, wo aufgrund der aktuellen Situation keine Kontrollen möglich sind. Larger border crossings remain open. A spokesman for the Ministry of Health confirmed the announcement of these measures. At the same time, the exchange with the affected federal states and the Chamber of Agriculture will be coordinated in order to inform the population in good time. In view of a case of the MKS in Slovakia, the measures are considered necessary to ensure animal health in Austria [the press] that ...

reactions and other measures

politicians from various parties expressed their consent to the border closings. FPÖ MPs like Dagmar Belakovich welcomed the measures, but also throw other political issues into the room, such as "illegal mass migration". In contrast, SPÖ MP Rudolf Silvan expressed concerns about the lack of information on the controls between the Czech Republic and Slovakia [ots] that ...

In addition, the Burgenland governor Deputy Anja Haider-Wallner called for more comprehensive controls and epidemic to be interpreted at the limits. Johannes Schmuckenschlager, President of the Lower Austria Chamber of Agriculture, appealed to the population to avoid traveling to affected areas and demanded strict controls regarding the import ban for living farm animals as well as meat and dairy products [the press] reports that ...

international relevance of the mouth and claw disease

The Far Reaching Effects of the mouth and claw disease are also internationally shown how an import ban from Great Britain is demonstrated by Huftiere from Germany. The trigger for this was a new outbreak of the disease in Brandenburg. Meanwhile, the British veterinary authorities have taken the risk that is based on the disease and were looking for contact with their German colleagues to coordinate corresponding measures [RP Online] that ...

MKS is a highly contagious viral disease that records different claw animals. Affected animals often show high fever and bladder formation, which can have serious economic consequences for the animal husbandry industry. So far there is no evidence that the disease spreads through train or air traffic, so that corresponding controls are not carried out there. According to an expert, it is important to weigh up current measures in order to meet both agriculture and the population [ots] that ...