Czech Republic reports African swine fever in wild pig

On Friday, Czech Republic’s State Veterinary Administration (SVS) defined a zone of infection around the place in Jindřichovice pod Smrkek in Frýdlantsk, where a dead piglet of a wild pig infected with African swine fever was found.

In an area of almost 200 km², the SVS ordered extraordinary veterinary measures. Hunting game and feeding wild pigs will be prohibited under these measures. Within the zone, movement outside of marked footpaths is now restricted. Authorities will intensify efforts to collect of the bodies of dead wild boars. The measures are intended to minimise the spread of the disease in the wild boar population and to protect domestic pig farms from the introduction of the disease.

Municipalities within the government-defined zone of infection must also submit an inventory of all pigs kept by households. The deadline to complete this inventory is December 9. Farmers who keep pigs for non-commercial purposes will have to have the pigs slaughtered within 10 days.

Under Czech law, keeping pigs outdoors in the infection zone is now forbidden. It is also prohibited to move pigs into the infection zone, except for immediate slaughter at the slaughterhouse. Products of animal origin obtained from wild pigs in the area will only be possible on the basis of a justified exception granted by the Regional Veterinary Administration for the Liberec Region.