KISBAJCS, HUNGARY — Hungary’s National Food Chain Safety Authority (Nébih) reported its first case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in over 50 years. The virus was discovered on a cattle farm in Kisbajcs.

On March 7, Nébih announced that FMD surfaced in a farm with 1,400 cattle, which showed classic symptoms of the highly contagious disease.

After confirming the disease at the Nébih laboratory, National Chief Veterinarian Szabolcs Pásztor ordered the immediate closure of the farm and initiation on an epidemiological investigation. Eradication of the herd is currently under way. Other strict biosecurity measures were implemented, including the ban on the transport of susceptible live animal species.

Earlier this year, Germany reported its first occurrence of FMD since 1988, which appeared in a water buffalo herd near Berlin.

“The confirmation of FMD in cattle in Hungary comes less than two months after the virus was found in water buffalo in Germany,” the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) said. “Hungary does not share a border with Germany; FMD-affected animals are approximately 475 miles apart.”

The outbreak among water buffalo resulted in the death of three infected animals and the euthanizing of the remaining 11 animals in the herd, according to SHIC.