FMD outbreak in Slovakia: army brought in to enforce containment measures

Slovakia has confirmed a new case of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in a cattle farm in Plavecky Stvrtok. It is the fifth case in the country and, unlike the others, was detected in an area far from the border with Hungary, where the current outbreak started earlier this month. However, authorities said animals on the affected farm had contact with animals on a Hungarian farm. All cattle at the property will be culled and carcasses will be disposed at a nearby location still to be selected.
Meanwhile, the Slovakian Ministry of Internal Affairs has confirmed that the army will be involved in enforcing containment measures. Soldiers will be deployed at border crossings with Hungary and Austria to assist the police in decontaminating arriving vehicles. They will also maintain public order at the crossings and guard facilities in joint patrols with the police. The deployment will last until the end of May. The Slovakian government agreed to cover the financial costs of implementing the measure. Last week, it declared an official state of emergency as part of its efforts to curb the FMD outbreak. Over 1500 police officers are involved in enforcing control measures and movement restrictions, while fire and rescue services assist in decontamination procedures and the disposal of culled animal carcasses.