MKS alarm in agriculture: Large animal deaths threaten!

MKS alarm in agriculture: Large animal deaths threaten!

Vienna, Österreich - An alarming outbreak of the mouth and claw disease (MKS) shakes agriculture in Slovakia, where symptoms have been found in animals since Tuesday. Three farms with up to 1,000 calves and milk cows each are affected. The cruel consequence: a spokesman announced the killing of all infected animals and described the situation as "disaster for agriculture". The setback is extreme because MKS is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects claws such as cattle, sheep and goats, but can also be dangerous for many other animal species. People are not directly affected, but can transmit the virus, which further tightens the situation. According to vienna.at this will result in significant economic losses for the affected companies.

Germany, on the other hand, has temporary relief: the world organization for animal health has largely declared the country to be approved for MKS-free after an application from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) was approved to establish a “containment zone”. Only this zone, in which MKS control measures continue to apply, remains excluded from this status. Cem Özdemir, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, described the renewed confirmation as great success for German trade relationships. He emphasized: "Almost all of Germany, according to the world organization for animal health, MKS-Free is again." This could strongly promote economic connections to other countries, as reported on BMEL.de . The status is crucial for exporting and return to regular trade relationships.

future of animal husbandry in danger

The return to the MKS-free status was made possible by intensive cooperation between the affected federal states and institutions. However, it should be noted that the outbreak is still limited to the "containment zone". The responsible work is already on a plan in order to integrate this area back into the MKS-free list as soon as possible. A comprehensive dossier was created in order to prepare the prerequisite for the recovery of the status soon. This step is important to revitalize the trade relationships, but the horror messages from Slovakia throw a shadow on the currently positive development in Germany. The use of everyone involved in combating the disease is considered crucial.