Hungarian authorities have launched an investigation into a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak detected on cattle farms in the western part of the country. This was announced by Gergely Gulyás, Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, during a press briefing on April 10, according to Reuters.
According to Gulyás, various theories regarding the origin of the virus are being considered as part of the investigation, including the possibility that it may have been artificially created.
This is the first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Hungary in the past 50 years. Although the disease does not pose a threat to humans, it is highly contagious among cloven-hoofed animals—primarily cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. It causes fever and blistering in the mouth, leading to serious economic consequences, including trade restrictions and mass culling of livestock.
In response to the threat, Hungarian troops were deployed on April 2 to border areas near Austria and Slovakia to carry out disinfection measures and help contain the virus.
On April 5, Austria closed 21 border crossings with Hungary and two with Slovakia in an effort to prevent the virus from spreading into its territory.
