HUNGARY

Hungary: Authorities confirm plague of small ruminants in Zala County

The Nébih has confirmed the presence of plague of small ruminants in sheep herds in the Nagymétnekpuszta and Lenti settlements in Zala County. Similar to the case in Szentgyörgyvölgy, the careless and irresponsible transport of animals and infectious objects may have played a role in the spread of the virus. The authority asks all animal keepers to report immediately if they notice symptoms of the disease in their animals.

Posted on Feb 04 ,00:05

After the outbreak of small ruminant plague in Szentgyörgyvölgy on January 24, 2025, suspicions of the disease have arisen in new settlements in Zala County, Nagymétnekpuszta and Lenti. The epidemiological investigation is still ongoing, in which the Nébih Priority Affairs Directorate has also been involved at the instruction of the national chief veterinarian. Based on the information so far, the disease could have entered the herds from the Szentgyörgyvölgy farm through personal movement or through the transport of hay. However, during the epidemiological investigation, the animal keepers only informed the authorities about the transport of feed late, which is why veterinarians arriving at the scene found animals showing symptoms on both farms. 

The greatest role in the spread of the disease is played by direct and indirect contact between live animals, so there is a particularly high risk of live animal trade, animal transport, and infectious objects. Already sick animals can excrete extremely large amounts of virus, which further increases the risk of spread.

Nébih draws the attention of animal keepers to the importance of complying with the rules, and at the same time asks for the cooperation of all interested economic actors in the early eradication of the disease and the prevention of its spread. It is important that animal keepers report immediately if they notice symptoms of the disease in their animals or if they have had any contact with the affected farms.
The direct and indirect economic damage of the pest of small ruminants epidemic can be enormous. It can be mitigated and the lifting of domestic and international restrictions can only be achieved by strictly adhering to the prescribed animal health measures!

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