UPDATE: African Swine Fever enters Ukraine

//01 Aug 2012
African Swine Fever has crossed another border - Ukraine now also has reported an outbreak in the south of the country.
According to the German veterinary website Animal Health Online (AHO) and the World Animal Health Organization (OIE), the virus was found in pigs in a backyard farm in the village Komyshuvatka, in the Prymorks'yi district, in the region Zaporozh'ye.

The OIE, which confirmed the outbreak on Wednesday afternoon, stated the outbreak was found in five pigs of which three had died of ASF. The other two had been culled.

The OIE wrote that the three animals had been affected with non-specific clinical signs, as only fever was detected. They died quickly afterwards. The samples were checked with PCR method, after which ASF was detected.

The location and the surrounding streets have been closed off, and traffic has been led through a detour. The pigs in the village have been killed and cremated.

It is thought that holidaymakers have carried the virus across the border, when they brought livestock products from Russia. Russia is reporting daily outbreaks of African Swine Fever, both in the south of the country as well as in the Tver region near Moscow.

In clinical signs somewhat similar to Classical Swine Fever, African Swine Fever is a deadly pig disease for which no vaccination is available. For more information on African Swine Fever, click here.

Related website:
• Animal Health Online (AHO)
• Animal Health Organization (OIE)