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African swine fever reaches Saaremaa Island

BC, Tallinn, 24.08.2016.Print version
A lab test has confirmed the presence of African swine fever (ASF) in pigs on a farm with 2,700 pigs on Estonia's Saaremaa Island, reports LETA/BNS.

"Of course we were ready for the suspicion to be confirmed," deputy director general of the Veterinary and Food Board Olev Kalda said. So far ASF had not been discovered on western Estonian islands.

 

To prevent spread of the disease, the pigs will be killed and the building disinfected.


This is the sixth time for the Estonian Veterinary and Food Board to diagnose ASF after September 2015.

 

According to Kalda the agency received information about an increased death rate on the farm on Monday evening and as on Wednesday morning 48 pigs had died on the farm since Friday. Samples were taken from live pigs as well as dead ones and a total of 21 positive samples were detected.

 

The disease control zone established around the outbreak spot does not include any pig farms.

 

An epidemiological survey will be carried out to establish how the disease agent found its way to the farm.

 

"Saaremaa and Hiiumaa counties were so far the only Estonian counties where the European Commission had not established any zones of control of the spread of ASF, but in the light of this incident necessary restrictions would be implemented. It is too early to speculate what restrictions would be implemented and that will be decided by the European Commission," Kalda said.






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