Czech Republic Bans Animal Imports from Slovakia Due to Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Prague, March 21 (TASR-correspondent) - As of midnight last night (March 20), the Czech Republic reinstated the ban on importing farm animals from Slovakia and resumed extraordinary border checks with Slovakia due to the likely occurrence of foot-and-mouth disease in two Slovak livestock farms, TASR has learnt from Czech Agriculture Minister Marek Vyborny. "Unfortunately, we have received information from our Slovak colleagues about a highly probable occurrence of foot-and-mouth disease in two Slovak livestock farms. Starting from midnight today, the State Veterinary Administration will issue extraordinary measures, and the import of farm animals from Slovakia will be banned," Vyborny said on Wednesday, March 20. Vyborny added that, in agreement with the Czech police and Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan, extraordinary border checks will be resumed on Friday starting at 7.00 a.m. A strict ban on contact with people or animals from Slovakia will apply to Czech farmers. According to the polnoinfo.sk portal, signs of the infectious foot-and-mouth disease were reported on two farms in southern Slovakia. The disease hasn't been officially confirmed yet, but according to the farmer, the animals showed all typical symptoms. The ban on the import of animals from Slovakia to the Czech Republic and the border controls were lifted only on Tuesday (March 18). The the Czech Republic's State Veterinary Administration (SVS) implemented them on March 11 due to a confirmed outbreak of the disease in Hungary. lin