The initial FMD case was confirmed in March on a cattle farm in northwestern Hungary near the Austrian and Slovak borders. According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), four farms in that region have tested positive, while nearly 1,000 farms across the country have undergone inspection.
“At this stage, we cannot rule out that the virus may not be of natural origin. We might be dealing with an artificially engineered virus,” Gulyás said during a media briefing. He added that the suspicion is based on verbal information from a foreign laboratory, though the findings have not yet been fully proven or documented.
Although foot-and-mouth disease does not pose a risk to humans, it causes fever and mouth blisters in cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. Outbreaks often lead to severe trade restrictions and economic losses.
In response, Hungary has culled thousands of animals to contain the outbreak. Neighboring Austria and Slovakia have closed dozens of border crossings, especially after the disease was detected in southern Slovakia as well.
According to official statistics, Hungary had around 861,000 head of cattle as of December 2024, accounting for 1.2% of the European Union's total herd.
The situation remains tense as Hungarian and international authorities continue their investigations, with biosecurity and trade implications under close scrutiny.
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