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He said that the disease has reached Vidzeme Province, which has a dense population of wild boars. The virus has spread from individual animals to larger packs of boars.

According to Balodis, the spread of the disease in Vidzeme and Latgale provinces differs, as the density of wild boars in Latgale is much lower than in Vidzeme.

Furthermore, at lower temperatures the virus can survive longer, even up to six months. That is why there is little hope that African swine fever will disappear from Latvian forests anytime soon, said Balodis.

As reported, the number of new African swine fever cases has been increasing during the past week, furthermore, two of the latest cases were repeatedly reported in Burtnieki Region, the Food and Veterinary Service's spokeswoman Anna Joffe informed LETA.

African swine fever was first confirmed in Latvia on June 26 last year, in the carcasses of three dead wild boars found just a few meters from the Belarusian border.