As foot-and-mouth disease continues to spread in Europe, Latvia is considering introducing vehicle disinfection at its borders, the Director General of the Food and Veterinary Service (PVD), Māris Balodis, told journalists on Tuesday following a meeting of the Crisis Management Council.
Balodis explained that a scenario with four different threat levels was presented to the Council. The third and fourth levels include vehicle disinfection at national borders.
According to Balodis, the disease has not yet spread beyond the protection zones defined by the European Commission, but its dynamic nature requires vigilance. Currently, disinfection at Latvia’s borders is not deemed necessary, as this is already being conducted in Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia.
If the disease spreads further—reaching Poland and approaching the Warsaw region—veterinary controls at Latvia’s borders will need to be reinstated, including disinfection of various types of vehicles, Balodis said.
“Infectious diseases are constantly around us, which is why biosecurity on farms must be upheld at all times, regardless of whether foot-and-mouth disease has been detected in Slovakia or not.
These basic measures are essential, as there are many different diseases,” Balodis added.
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze (ZZS) noted that foot-and-mouth disease has been detected in Hungary and Slovakia, about 1 000 kilometres away from Latvia in a straight line, or about 1 400 kilometres by road. At present, the risk to Latvia remains relatively low, Krauze emphasized.
At the same time, the Crisis Management Council reviewed the possibility that the disease could reach Poland and approach the Lithuanian border, meaning Latvia must be prepared. The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) is currently informing farmers about necessary safety measures.
Krauze also noted that within the Common Agricultural Policy, 7.5 million euros has been allocated for biosecurity project funding, and a two million euros program will soon open for farmers to apply for support to improve biosecurity on their farms.
He emphasized that Latvia’s farms already maintain a very high level of biosecurity, citing the successful containment of African swine fever as an example. Krauze also urged farmers to avoid purchasing animals from Hungary and Slovakia.
As previously reported, the PVD announced last week that foot-and-mouth disease has already been detected this year in three European countries: one outbreak in Germany, five in Slovakia, and four in Hungary.
Foot-and-mouth disease is an acute and highly contagious viral infection that affects cloven-hoofed animals. It is characterized by fever and blister-like lesions in the mouth, on the tongue, hooves, and teats.
The disease is classified as a transboundary animal disease that can spread rapidly and widely, severely impacting livestock farming and disrupting both regional and international trade in animals and animal products, potentially causing significant economic losses.
Foot-and-mouth disease does not pose a risk to human health and does not affect food safety. The last recorded case in Latvia was in 1987.