On April 5, the Bundesheer began an assistance mission in Burgenland – on April 14, also in Lower Austria.
The use of assistance was the goal of preventing the mouth and claw disease from spreading to animals in Austria.
This goal could be achieved: So far, no case has been recorded in Austria.
Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner: “The Federal Army was able to support quickly and effectively in the containment of the mouth and claw disease. Thanks to the excellent cooperation with the civilian authorities, it was prevented from spreading to Austria. I thank all the forces for their dedicated service!”
A total of 29,561 operating hours (including 13,918 in Burgenland and 15,643 in Lower Austria) were faced as part of the mission. 239,851 liters of disinfectant were placed on the decontamination of vehicles. On average, 68 members of the Federal Army were deployed every day.
Minister of Agriculture, Norbert Tettschnig, also thanks the federal army and recognizes the commitment of everyone involved: “At the end of the day, the extended restricted zone in the east of Austria will be canceled – a success of a determined, rapid crisis management and a merit of our rural family businesses, which have contributed to the disease prevention. Be carelessly – because the residual risk remains.
The mouth and claw disease (MKS) is a highly infectious viral disease that mainly affects farm animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. Symptoms are fever, bubble formation in the mouth and on the claws as well as significant loss of performance in the animals. For humans, the virus is harmless – however, an outbreak can have serious economic consequences for agriculture: through animal losses, trade restrictions and comprehensive control measures.
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