Swine fever turns up in new territory

Take note – story published 9 years ago

Five wild boar found dead in the woods of Umurga county of Limbaži district in north-central Vidzeme province were confirmed this week to be infected with African swine fever (ASF), the deadly virus that threatened the nation’s pork industry last year and shut down many domestic pig farmers in Latgale and Vidzeme provinces.

These were the first cases in this part of the country to be confirmed by state food and veterinary authorities. This year 72 wild boar in twenty various counties of ten different districts in Latgale and Vidzeme have been confirmed.

The Food and Veterinary Service is urging all farmers to observe strict biosafety measures to protect farm animals from contracting the disease and to limit the spread of the disease.

Despite the lifting of last year’s state-of-emergency involving mandatory sanitary or culling measures enforced by the Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) inspectors backed up by the State Police, the disease continues to spread in Vidzeme province’s wild boar population. Territories hit by African swine fever have been applied with transport restrictions on live pigs and pork products until December 31, 2018.

The PVD believes that Belarus isn’t disclosing the true scope of the problem inside its own pork industry and wild boar population. Even if Latvia can beat the spread of the disease, which is debilitating and deadly to domestic pigs and wild boar alike, though not to humans, the veterinary health officials think the external risks will remain.

 

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