Foot-and-mouth disease alarm in agriculture: major animal deaths are imminent!

Foot-and-mouth disease alarm in agriculture: major animal deaths are imminent!

An alarming outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is rocking agriculture in Slovakia, where symptoms have been detected in animals since Tuesday. Three farms are affected, each with up to 1,000 calves and dairy cows. The cruel consequence: A spokesman announced that all infected animals would be killed and described the situation as a “disaster for agriculture”. The setback is extreme because foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects cloven-hoofed animals 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, further exacerbating the situation. Loud vienna.at This will result in significant economic losses for the companies affected.

Germany, on the other hand, has temporary relief: the World Organization for Animal Health has declared the country largely free of foot-and-mouth disease after an application from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) to set up a “containment zone” was approved. Only this zone, in which foot-and-mouth disease control measures continue to apply, remains excluded from this status. Cem Özdemir, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, described the renewed confirmation as a great success for German trade relations. He emphasized: “According to the World Organization for Animal Health, almost all of Germany is free of foot-and-mouth disease again.” This could greatly promote economic ties with other countries, as shown on bmel.de is reported. The status is crucial for the ability to export and return to regular trading relationships.

Future of animal husbandry in danger

The return to FMD-free status was made possible through intensive cooperation between the affected federal states and institutions. However, it should be noted that the outbreak remains limited to the “Containment Zone”. Those responsible are already working on a plan to reintegrate this area into the FMD-free list as quickly as possible. A comprehensive dossier has been prepared to prepare the ground for an early recovery of status. Although this step is important to revitalize trade relations, the terrible news from Slovakia casts a shadow over the current positive development in Germany. The commitment of all those involved in combating the epidemic is seen as crucial.