Bundes army in action: fight against mouth and claw disease in Slovakia!

Bundes army in action: fight against mouth and claw disease in Slovakia!

Rajka, Ungarn - On March 28, 2025, the fight against the outbreak of the mouth and claw disease in Slovakia is supported by the Austrian Armed Forces. According to OTS Unit (Afdru) started the first missions for decontamination. This measure takes place as part of a support for support in the context of the EU civil protection mechanism, which requires rapid action to prevent further expansion of the plague.

The operation began on Wednesday evening at the Rajka border crossing, where large vehicles are decontaminated. An average of 25 vehicles are processed every hour, with over 700 vehicles to be decontaminated until early morning. The soldiers work in shift work to minimize the risk of contamination to Austria. Significant resources are required in this use: 1,000 liters of water and 100 liters of chemicals are used for disinfection every hour.

priority for humans and animals

The defense Minister Klaudia Tanner emphasizes the need for European cooperation in this crisis. The highest priority is the self -protection of the soldiers and civilians as well as preventing the contamination. The Afdru not only consists of soldiers in the regular force, but is reinforced by militia soldiers, with most soldiers come from Styria.

In Germany, a break in mouth and claw disease (MKS) was also recently found. On January 10, 2025, the first case at Wasserbüffeln in the Märkisch-Oderland district in Brandenburg was confirmed, as was reported by BMEL The animal disease measures were quickly implemented and the EU Commission issued a implementation decision to combat the plague. The spread has so far been contained; The protection zones were reorganized and the status "MKS-Free without vaccination" was restored for most of Germany on March 12, 2025.

global challenges

The mouth and claw disease is a highly contagious viral infection that affects claw animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, but is harmless to humans. Known worldwide, it has the potential for rapid spread and significant economic losses through trade restrictions. Federal Minister Cem Özdemir emphasizes the effectiveness of the measures in Germany, while preparations are running in order to apply for the recovery of the MKS freedom at the WOAH, which is also considered important for the stability of the animal husbandry sector. Federal states are responsible for combating such animal diseases and numerous measures to remedy the bottlenecks have already been taken into force to protect the animal stocks and to ensure public health.