Slovakia declares 'emergency situation' to stop spread of foot-and-mouth cases

Slovakia declared an emergency situation on Tuesday, making it easier to enact measures to prevent the spread of cases of foot-and-mouth disease after infections were detected in the southern part of the country, the government office said on its website.

Officials discovered the cases at three farms last week. The infections were the first in half a century, and come after neighbouring Hungary reported cases earlier in March.

Foot-and-mouth disease poses no danger to humans but causes fever and mouth blisters in cloven-hoofed ruminants such as cattle, swine, sheep and goats, and outbreaks often lead to trade restrictions.