March 27, 2025

Foot-and-mouth disease confirmed in Slovakia, thousands of cattle to be culled

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been confirmed on three cattle farms in Slovakia, near the Kisbajcs region of Hungary, where the virus was first detected in early March. The outbreak is expected to result in the culling of approximately 2,000 animals.

Slovakian Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč announced that two of the affected farms are in the Dunaszerdahely district. One farm houses 650 milking cows, while the other has 670 animals. The third infected farm is located in the Komárno region, though the number of animals there has not yet been confirmed, according to the UK National Farmer's Union (NFU) office in Brussels.

The Dunaszerdahely region is a key area for Slovakian livestock production, with an estimated 13,000 cattle and 128,000 swine. One of the infected farms is situated only a few kilometres from a large-scale swine breeding facility, raising concerns about further spread. In response, all Slovak zoos will be closed, and disinfectant fords will be placed on roads surrounding the affected farms.

The disease was first suspected on Thursday and confirmed through testing on Friday. Two of the affected farms belong to the Our Farms group, owned by the Tkáčov family from the J&T investment group. The third farm is operated by the Agricultural Cooperative.

Authorities have announced that all cattle, swine, sheep, and goats within a 3 km radius of the affected farms will also be culled. Vaccination efforts will begin immediately, though the culling process is expected to take time.

In response to the outbreak, the UK has imposed an import ban on susceptible animals and products from Slovakia. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) announced the restriction on March 7, 2025, following the confirmation of FMD in a herd of cattle in Hungary.

- Pig World