PRAGUE, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Czech Republic will end checks on transporters at the border with Slovakia from midnight on Thursday, the country's Ministry of Agriculture has announced.
The checks were introduced about two months ago due to concerns over foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
"Vehicles over 3.5 tons driving from Slovakia will be able to use any border crossing to enter the Czech Republic again without the need for disinfection. Random road checks on the Czech territory will continue to be carried out," the ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, testing of milk and monitoring of wild animals in border areas will continue. Preventive measures on livestock farms also remain in place, the ministry said.
There is currently no indication that the FMD situation is worsening, the ministry added, with the latest outbreaks confirmed on April 17 in Hungary and on April 4 in Slovakia.
In response, the Czech Republic has gradually relaxed its emergency veterinary measures. Last week, it lifted a ban on imports of susceptible animals from Hungary and Slovakia.
FMD primarily affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. Symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, excessive salivation, and blisters on the mouth and feet.
FMD outbreaks first appeared in Germany this year, then in Hungary and Slovakia. The disease was last detected in the Czech Republic in 1975. ■
