Good news: Fight against deadly infection at disease hotspots ended
The fight against the foot-and-mouth disease at infected farms is coming to an end, but at the same time defence must continue, István Nagy, the agriculture minister, said after a meeting of an operative corps for animal health on Saturday.
Nagy said they have managed to stop the further spread of foot-and-mouth disease, and there are no new cases in Hungary. The state of emergency has been lifted, marking the end of the first phase of the fight against the virus.
Negative test results
The minister said 1,115 samples were collected, 70,000 tests conducted and all of them showed a negative result, but the virus can remain latent for 14 days. Preventing a new outbreak requires following the rules, discipline, and strict adherence to regulations, he added.
Nagy said compensation from the government will help livestock farms restart work as soon as possible, the state will provide the wages of the workers there at the expense of the state wage guarantee fund and affected farms will receive a one-year moratorium on loan installments.
National chief veterinarian Szabolcs Pásztor said affected farms will remain closed and restrictive measures will be maintained. He asked farmers that only those whose presence is needed should enter livestock facilities. Authorities are tightening inspections nationwide, and violators can expect serious penalties, he added.
Read also: