BUDAPEST, HUNGARY — Several countries, including the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Australia, Czech Republic and Poland, have issued import restrictions from Slovakia and Hungary due to an ongoing foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, according to the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC).

In early March, Hungary reported its first case of FMD in over 50 years, found on a farm of 1,400 cattle in Kisbajcs.

Hungarian Agriculture Minister Istvan Nagy has since reported additional detections of FMD on two cattle ranches in Gyor-Moson-Sopron county. According to Reuters, 3,500 cattle were affected in total from these new outbreaks.

Hungary has introduced new biosecurity measures, including the deployment of soldiers, to help curb the spread of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, Nagy announced this week.

“I ask everyone to adhere to strict epidemic prevention measures because the virus can only be prevented by joint efforts,” Nagy said in his announcement posted on Facebook.

Part of these prevention measures include containment in the northeastern area bordering Slovakia and Austria. Animals on the infected farms are being culled while disinfection points are being set up along the border and at highway exits.

“We are strengthening the disinfection points that have been set up, and we are also providing the chemicals necessary for sterilization to small farms free of charge,” Nagy said.

Since March 21, Hungary’s neighbor Slovakia has confirmed five detections of FMD. Its most recent outbreak occurred on March 30, affecting 3,487 livestock near the country’s western border. In total, 6,000 cattle have been affected, with animals showing classic FMD symptoms such as fever, excessive salivation, and mouth and hoof blisters, according to SHIC.

Slovakia is the third European country to report FMD in 2025, following Hungary as well as Germany.

The source of the Slovak outbreak remains under investigation, but authorities suspect the virus likely entered from neighboring Hungary, SHIC said. The affected farms are located in regions with dense livestock populations, where they are vulnerable to fast and extensive transmission, the group added. The Dunaszerdahely region, in particular, is a major hub for Slovakian livestock production, housing approximately 13,000 cattle and 128,000 pigs.

Slovakia has issued a nationwide ban on the movement of cloven-hoofed animals in addition to a slew of other biosecurity measures, such as vaccinations and closures of zoos and animal display operations. Over 1,500 Slovak police officers have been directed to enforce movement restrictions and control zones.