The question of whether Hungary was targeted by a biological attack, as suggested by its government in April 2025, hinges on a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak—the country's first in over 50 years. This outbreak, detailed in a Focal Points article and corroborated by Reuters, The Independent, and other sources, has sparked intense speculation, with Hungarian officials pointing to the possibility of an "artificially engineered virus." Yet, the evidence remains thin, and the broader context suggests a mix of geopolitical posturing, scientific uncertainty, and alarmist narratives. I will discuss the incident, the claims, and the motives that might lie behind such an attack.
In early March 2025, FMD surfaced on a cattle farm near Kisbajcs in northwest Hungary, close to the borders with Austria and Slovakia. The virus, which causes fever and blisters in cloven-hoofed animals like cattle, pigs, and goats, spread to four farms in Győr-Moson-Sopron County, leading to the culling of over 3,500 cattle and triggering trade restrictions. Austria and Slovakia sealed border crossings after cases appeared in southern Slovakia, amplifying regional alarm. Hungarian authorities, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás, noted that animal health checks across nearly 1,000 farms found infections confined to the northwest. Gulyás raised eyebrows by stating, "It cannot be ruled out that the virus was not of natural origin," citing "verbal information" from a foreign laboratory suggesting the virus might be engineered. He cautioned that these findings were unverified, lacking documentation or peer-reviewed analysis.
The claim of a biological attack is provocative, especially given Hungary's history of defying EU and UN policies on issues like immigration and Covid-19 protocols, to its credit. Orbán's government has cultivated a narrative of external threats, often portraying Hungary as a victim of Western or globalist agendas, which is true. This context fuels speculation that the FMD outbreak could be framed as bioterrorism to rally domestic support or deflect criticism. The timing is curious: the Focal Points article links the claim to a recent CNN appearance by Peter Marks, former FDA official, who warned of "man-made biological threats" after his resignation. Marks' vague remarks, alongside similar warnings from figures like Ashish Jha and Bill Gates, have been seized upon by some as evidence of a looming bioweapon agenda. Yet, Marks' comments lack specifics, and tying them to Hungary's outbreak feels more like narrative-building than hard evidence.
Could this be a biological attack? FMD is a plausible candidate for bioterrorism—it's highly contagious, disrupts agriculture, and cripples economies without posing direct human risk. A 2001 outbreak in the UK cost £8 billion, showing its disruptive potential. Deliberate release, as seen in historical cases like the 1915-1917 German sabotage campaigns using anthrax and glanders, isn't unprecedented. Hungary's claim rests on the virus's sudden appearance and the foreign lab's unverified hint of engineering. Gain-of-function research, which enhances pathogens' transmissibility, could theoretically produce an engineered FMD strain, and thousands of BSL-3 and BSL-4 labs worldwide handle such work. But no genomic sequencing or lab analysis has been publicly shared to confirm artificial origins. Natural explanations—such as trade-related transmission or undetected reservoirs in neighbouring regions—are equally plausible, especially since FMD is endemic in parts of Asia and Africa.
Why target Hungary? Geopolitical motives come to mind. Orbán's alignment with Russia and China, his vetoes of EU sanctions, and his recent withdrawal from the International Criminal Court have irked Western powers. Hungary's small but strategic cattle industry (861,000 head, 1.2% of EU stocks) makes it vulnerable to agricultural sabotage, which could destabilise its economy or food security. A covert attack might aim to punish Orbán's defiance or test bioweapon capabilities in a low-risk setting. Alternatively, non-state actors—terrorists or corporate rivals—could seek to disrupt EU trade or sow chaos. Posts on social media speculate that Hungary's resistance to globalist policies makes it a target for Western retaliation.
The counterargument is simpler: this could be a natural outbreak. FMD spreads easily through livestock trade or contaminated equipment, and Hungary's proximity to Slovakia, where cases emerged, suggests cross-border transmission. The "foreign lab" claim is suspiciously vague—verbal, undocumented, and unattributed. If evidence of engineering existed, Hungary would likely present it to the World Organisation for Animal Health or EU authorities to bolster its case. Instead, the narrative amplifies fear, as seen in circulating footage of a "blood-like liquid" at a cattle burial site, which may be staged or misinterpreted. The link to Marks' comments feels opportunistic, especially since his "threats" were more about FDA capacity than specific plots.
This incident underscores the fragility of global systems. An FMD outbreak, natural or engineered, exposes vulnerabilities in food security, trade, and trust in institutions. If artificial, it would confirm fears of bioterrorism as a growing existential threat, synergising with risks like self-amplifying RNA vaccines or unregulated biolabs. But jumping to "bioweapon" without evidence risks paranoia, distracting from practical responses like biosecurity upgrades or lab oversight. This highlights the need for local food resilience—diversifying livestock or monitoring regional outbreaks could mitigate similar risks.
Was Hungary attacked? The evidence is inconclusive. A biological attack is possible but unproven, resting on unverified claims and geopolitical storytelling. Natural causes are just as likely. Until genomic data or lab reports surface, scepticism is warranted. If it was an attack, the "why" likely ties to Hungary's noble nationalist stance in global politics—but without proof, that's just a hunch.
https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/hungary-hit-by-possible-biological
"Hungary on Thursday suggested a "biological attack" as a possible source of the country's first foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in more than half a century, which has triggered border closures and the mass slaughter of cattle in the northwest.
Animal health authorities had made checks at nearly 1,000 farms across Hungary by Thursday, with only four in the affected northwestern region returning positive results.
"At this stage, we can say that it cannot be ruled out that the virus was not of natural origin, we may be dealing with an artificially engineered virus," Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas told a media briefing.
He also said that suspicion was based on verbal information received from a foreign laboratory and that their findings have not yet been fully proven and documented.
Foot-and-mouth disease poses no danger to humans but causes fever and mouth blisters in cloven-hoofed ruminants such as cattle, swine, sheep and goats, and outbreaks often lead to trade restrictions.
Thousands of cattle had to be culled as the landlocked country tried to contain the outbreak, while Austria and Slovakia have closed dozens of border crossings, after the disease also appeared in the southern part of Slovakia.
Circulating footage from Csemeztanya, Hungary, purportedly shows a blood-like liquid seeping from the ground at the mass burial site of over 3,000 cattle infected with foot-and-mouth disease:
Suspiciously, the claim of a bioweapon attack emerged shortly after Peter Marks, former Director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), issued a veiled threat about man-made biological threats on national TV …
Last week, before the story broke of a possible biological attack in Hungary, I said that urgent preemptive action is warranted in light of engineered pathogen "warnings" by Peter Marks, former White House COVID Czar Ashish Jha, and Bill Gates — such actions could include:
1.Destruction of all modified pathogens with pandemic potential.
2.Immediate global moratorium on gain-of-function research.
3.Proper investigations into the thousands of BSL-3 and BSL-4 biolabs."