A highly-contagious outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has caused major disruption in Hungary, marking the first such occurrence in over 50 years.
Austria and Slovakia have closed multiple border crossings in response, and Hungarian officials have suggested the possibility of an “artificially engineered” virus, though this remains unproven.
The disease, initially detected on a cattle farm near the northwest border, has led to the slaughter of thousands of cattle as authorities attempt to contain it.
Hungary’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, stated that while the virus’ origin is still uncertain, the possibility of a biological attack cannot be ruled out.
Animal health inspectors have identified infected sites across nearly 1,000 farms, though the situation is still under investigation.
