Over 30 ASF cases recorded in the EU in a week

681 cases of African swine fever (ASF) in domestic animals have been recorded since the beginning of the year in 13 countries of the European Union.

More than 8,200 cases of ASF have been confirmed in wildlife in 18 European countries since the beginning of the year. The leaders in terms of number are Poland, Germany and Latvia.

According to the European Commission, from 18 to 24 September alone, 31 new outbreaks were recorded in domestic pigs in Europe. The largest number was in Serbia (19 cases), Croatia (11) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1).

One of the most high-profile recent cases was an outbreak at the large Ekseko farm in Estonia, owned by Maag Agro. The farm, which housed about 50,000 pigs, had to culled 27,000 pigs. In addition, due to the epidemic, the management announced collective redundancies – 44 employees, or a quarter of the staff of the pig unit, will lose their jobs.

The problem is global. In South Africa, new cases have been recorded outside the control zones, and in the Western Cape province, the disease has led to a mass death of pigs in camps. In Madagascar, 230 outbreaks have been registered in the first half of the year alone. In India, new restrictions are being introduced in the states of Assam, Mizoram and Punjab, where ASF has again hit local farms.

Tags: EU, ASF