Danger from mouth and claw disease: Warning of Easter in Austria!

Danger from mouth and claw disease: Warning of Easter in Austria!

Österreich, Land - Minister of Agriculture Norbert Tettschnig (ÖVP) warns of an increased risk of spreading the mouth and claw disease (MKS) for Easter. The minister sees the risk as increased, especially due to return trips from affected countries and the increased travel activity during the Easter holidays. Especially the markets on which products of unknown origin are offered are an additional risk. Painting appeals to the population to adhere to hygiene specifications and do not bring fresh meat, raw milk or feed from affected regions. There was no MKS case in Austria by Wednesday evening.

new regulation and immediate measures

The new regulation for combating MKS includes extended requirements for import restrictions, biosecap measures and operational personal responsibility. Companies are obliged to implement organic security measures independently and at their own expense. In addition, you have to carry out a risk assessment of the organic security situation at your company and have a visit to a visit for non -company people who enter the stable rooms. Existing measures such as the import ban for living animals and fresh meat from Hungary and Slovakia remain in force.

A central part of the measures are the monitoring zones set up and the closure of 32 smaller border crossings to prevent the epidemic entry. These measures were necessary to prevent the MKS's introduction and to ensure early detection of the virus. Supplementary organic safety measures are mandatory within the surveillance zones, and the epidemiological situation is continuously assessed by the Ages.

The importance of personal responsibility

The BMASGPK emphasizes the importance of the personal responsibility of all farmers and pet owners in order to ensure animal health and agricultural production in Austria. All rehearsals examined so far in Austria were negative, but the current outbreaks in neighboring countries are particularly essential to comply with the new regulations.

In addition to the measures to combat the MKS, Minister announced that a plan for implementing the EU Renaturation Act must be presented by mid-2026. Comfortable is optimistic about the presentation of an Austrian climate law in the coming months and emphasizes the need to include the parties concerned.

The challenges that Austrian agriculture faces are complex. In addition to the MKS fighting, important legal regulations on pig farming are also being planned to secure pig production in Austria by the end of May 2025.

The current events illustrate the need for comprehensive measures and the importance of cooperation between government and agriculture to ensure animal health in Austria