Good evening. Here is the Friday, March 21 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
A livestock disease that has been absent from Slovakia for decades is back
Slovak spotted cattle (source: PD Uhrovec)
A highly contagious disease that could cripple livestock production was today – Friday, March 21 – confirmed as being present in Slovakia, news website Aktuality.sk has reported, adding that the development will potentially impact meat prices. The disease has been confirmed in the country for the first time in half a century, the Sme daily confirmed.
In early March, Hungarian veterinarians detected foot-and-mouth disease at a cattle farm in Kisbajcsi, marking its first appearance there in 50 years. In response, Slovak authorities implemented preventive measures, especially in southern regions near the Hungarian border.
“The director of the Regional Veterinary and Food Administration has just informed me that all three samples received yesterday tested positive,” said Pavol Majerčák, chair of the board at agricultural firm Agročat and vice-chair of Medzičilizie, another operator, in an interview with Polnoinfo.sk.
What is foot-and-mouth disease ?
Foot-and-mouth disease is a viral infection that primarily affects hooved animals, such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, as well as wild game like deer, roe deer, and mouflons. The main symptoms of the disease include a high fever, exceeding 40°C, and the formation of blisters, particularly in the mouth, on the udder, or in the space between the hooves.
It spreads easily through direct contact and via the air, and humans can further spread the virus through agricultural machinery, footwear, clothing, and vehicle tires that have come into contact with the virus. In the event of an outbreak, it is standard practice to cull all affected animals.
Where in Slovakia was the disease confirmed?
Foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed in three cattle farms in southern Slovakia, in Dunajská Streda district. The affected farms are in Medveďov, Ňárad and Baka.
Two of them, in Medveďov and Ňárad, belong to Naše Farmy, part of the J&T investment group, according to Denník N. The third, in Baka, is run by EXATA, owned by Ján Sabol and Oszkár Világi, CEO of the Slovnaft refinery in Bratislava.
The farms are all located near a Hungarian village where the disease was previously detected. Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč (Smer) confirmed the outbreak before Friday’s government meeting, despite earlier negative test results.
On Thursday, the Czech Republic announced border checks with Slovakia and a ban on importing livestock.
What measures is the state implementing?
Minister Takáč announced that all affected cattle will be vaccinated and then culled, with the process starting today. A vaccine will be imported from Germany.
Around 2,000 cattle will be vaccinated, but they will also be culled as the vaccine only helps slow the spread. Additional animals may need to be euthanised as part of the measures.
Chief Veterinary Officer Martin Chudý has outlined extensive precautions.
Government measures to contain the spread of foot-and-mouth disease:
Culling of susceptible animals within a three-kilometre radius of the outbreak. This will likely include hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats.
Ban on forest access across the entire Komárno and Dunajská Streda districts.
Restrictions on animal transport at the Medveďov, Komárno, Štúrovo, and Bratislava-Rajka (old road) border crossings. Animal transit will be allowed only on designated routes, where customs officers and veterinary inspectors will conduct checks.
Disinfection points will be set up on district roads in Dunajská Streda and Komárno, requiring all traffic in the affected areas to pass through them.
Nationwide measures:
Ban on markets, exhibitions and animal auctions.
Closure of zoos.
Closure of collection centres, where animals will no longer be allowed to gather.
Ban on the movement of susceptible animals from one farm to another, including to slaughterhouses.
Recommendations for the public:
People should avoid visiting farms, or neighbours who keep animals, to prevent the spread of the disease.
Strict hygiene rules should be followed, including washing and changing clothes when moving between animals and home environments.
People and farms will also have the option to quickly send animals to rendering plants.
The issue of burying animals, as done in Hungary, is being addressed, with a site to be selected for this purpose.
Stay safe and healthy!
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FEATURE STORY
Hidden desires: The secret world of pornographic literature in early 20th-century Bratislava
A female nude from the mid-19th century. (source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public domain)
In 1908, a police raid in Pressburg (now Bratislava) uncovered a hidden world of taboo literature, revealing the existence of Hartleb, a mysterious publishing house that produced sadomasochistic and pornographic works. Read on to learn about this hidden chapter in early 20th-century literature, revealing how censorship, desire and rebellion intertwined in Central Europe.
EVENT FOR THE WEEKEND
This Sunday will be barrier-free!
The Tokyo Paralympics: Boccia is one of the two Paralympic sports that has no Olympic equivalent. (source: AFP)
The WheelShare Festival offers a chance to experience activities that prove barriers can be overcome. This Sunday you can experience riding a wheelchair, playing the unique Paralympic sport Boccia, and even painting without using your hands. Come and see that nothing is impossible; more details about this and other upcoming events can be found here.
IN OTHER NEWS
In several cities across Slovakia, protest rallies titled "Slovakia is Europe" took place on Friday evening, including in Bratislava, Košice, Banská Bystrica, Nitra, Trnava, Prešov, Žilina and Bardejov, as well as some cities abroad. The protest in Bratislava was attended by an estimated 10,000 to 11,000 people, according to SafetyCrew, the company overseeing security. "Slovakia’s situation is critical. A so-called 'Russian law' has been presented in parliament, mimicking totalitarian practices and posing a serious threat to the non-profit sector and NGOs. The Fico government has taken another step towards autocracy," said one of the organisers, the civic association Mier Ukrajine. They also highlighted the ongoing disinformation campaign about Covid-19 vaccines and what they say is the systematic destruction of Slovak culture. (TASR)
The winter of 2024/25 ended as the 14th warmest winter in Slovakia. The average air temperature was 0.1 °C. This was announced by Peter Kajaba, a climatologist from the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMÚ), at a press conference. (TASR)
Kysuce will be the setting for the action film Convoy, with filming taking place on the D3 motorway and in Čadca. The production company is paying hundreds of thousands of euros to local authorities for the use of these locations. The D3 will be closed from March 21 to April 16 for filming and maintenance. This area has previously been featured in productions like Jack Ryan. (SME)
Prime Minister Robert Fico spoke with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Friday, offering full support for Vučić as the legitimate representative of Serbia. Fico emphasised that the results of democratic elections must not be overturned by street protests, noting similarities between protests in Slovakia and Serbia. Vučić thanked Slovakia for its support of Serbia’s territorial integrity and EU integration. Popular protests in Serbia have intensified in recent following a tragic incident in Novi Sad last year that led to calls for a transitional government. (TASR)
The government has intervened in Humenné due to the risk of energy supply disruptions. The Regulatory Office for Network Industries ordered energy firm Chemes to provide necessary equipment to MH Teplárenský Holding from March 29 to ensure heat and electricity supplies to the city and industrial park. The office issued precautionary measures on March 21 to prevent potential harm to life, health and property. "Our actions are an unprecedented but necessary response to the risk of energy supply cuts," said Jozef Holjenčík, the office's chairman. (TASR, Denník N)
WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND: Saturday will start mostly clear to partly cloudy, but clouds will increase from the southwest, bringing rain or showers in the afternoon, especially in Banská Bystrica Region, with snowfall in higher areas. Sunday will be overcast and rainy throughout the day, so make sure to take an umbrella. Temperatures on Saturday will range from 11°C–16°C, while Sunday will be cooler at 9°C–14°C. However, temperatures could reach 19°C in western Slovakia, the Podunajská Lowland, and Lower Zemplín. The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMÚ) issued a Level 1 warning for strong winds on Saturday in Bratislava, Trnava, Trenčín and Nitra Regions. On Sunday, the warning will remain for Trenčín and Trnava and will also include Banská Bystrica, Žilina and Prešov Regions.
WEEKEND PARTY TIME: Beňadik, Adrián and – last but not least! – Gabriel are this weekend's lucky ones celebrating their name days. Do not forget to congratulate them on Saturday, March 22 - Beňadik; Sunday, March 23 - Beňadik ; Monday, March 24 - Gabriel.
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