Burgenland Requests Military Assistance Amid Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak

The Burgenland region of Austria is set to request military assistance for disinfection operations related to the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. This announcement was made by the state's crisis management team on Friday, indicating that the Austrian military will be called to aid in sanitization efforts at the highway border crossings of Kittsee (A6) and Nickelsdorf (A4).

As part of the containment measures, biosecurity mats will be established at the open border crossings located within the extended quarantine zone, while 21 smaller border crossings will be completely closed from midnight on April 5 until May 20, 2025.

The Austrian Armed Forces have yet to receive an official request from the state; however, they are prepared to assist health authorities as required, according to a spokesperson. Currently, the military is engaged in decontamination operations in Slovakia with a contingent of 50 soldiers.

Despite the announced closures, larger border crossings such as Kittsee-Jarovce, Nickelsdorf-Hegyeshalom 1 and 2, Pamhagen-Fertöd, Klingenbach-Sopron, St. Margarethen-Sopronköhida, Rattersdorf-Köszeg, and all crossings in Oberwart, Güssing, and Jennersdorf districts will remain operational. At these open crossings, biosecurity mats have been deployed by the state's construction authority to prevent the entry of the virus via vehicles arriving from Hungary or Slovakia. Vehicles passing through these disinfection zones will be treated with disinfectants.

The military's role will be crucial in supporting disinfection efforts at the Kittsee and Nickelsdorf border crossings. Additionally, the state is coordinating with the Asfinag, the Austrian highway operator, to ensure effective implementation of these measures. Authorities have strongly advised against non-essential travel across borders into Hungary and Slovakia during this period.

In neighboring Lower Austria, closures will also affect the ferry at Angern on the March River and the footbridge at Marchegg, with security and inspections managed by the regional police directorate. Unlike border controls at open crossings, the closures of these smaller crossings are viewed as a less resource-intensive method of managing the situation and will be enforced with varying degrees of strictness.

The measures being implemented to combat the outbreak include establishing and enforcing sanitation protocols, as mandated by health authorities. These actions are part of a broader strategy to contain the foot-and-mouth disease and protect livestock health across the region.