ASF update: Czech Republic approaches 100 reports

The total amount of dead wild boars discovered in the woods around Zlín, in the far east of the Czech Republic, stood at 94 at the end of August. In this month, 23 new infected carcasses were found, which is a downward trend from July, when 68 reports were sent to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The 1st report of ASF in Czech wild boars was on 21 June.

Slovak authorities warning for ASF

Many neighbouring countries have alerted their local pig producers to be very careful what to feed their pigs – and their inhabitants what to purchase and how to dispose of it. So did Slovakia, according to the Slovak Spectator. Zlín is only a few kilometres away from the western Slovak border, to its north is Poland where ASF has been around since 2014 and on its eastern border is Ukraine, where ASF has been confirmed since 2011.

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In a presentation, given in mid-July to the European Commission’s Standing Committee On Animals, Plants, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF), Dr Petr Šatrán of the Czech State Veterinary Administration indicated that human activities are most likely the cause of the spread of the virus, seeing that the nearest reported cases of ASF were roughly 500 km away and that the positive dead wild boars were found in inhabited areas.

African Swine Fever in Romania

In the other country where ASF was found for the 1st time in 2017, Romania, things appear relatively quiet. News broke early this month that ASF was also found on 2 backyard farms in the north of the country. Ever since, the Romanian authorities did not report any further outbreaks of ASF to the OIE.

Poland continues to report farm outbreaks

Of all other countries in the European Union, especially Poland has continued to report outbreaks of African Swine Fever in smaller and middle-sized operations. In August alone, on 23 farm sites of various sizes ASF was found to have infected at least 1 animal, after which the entire herd would have to be culled.

The biggest operation in this respect was a farm near Monki, Podlaskie province, where all remaining 431 pigs had to be culled after 11 had died as a result of ASF, on 19 August. Noteworthy as well was the ASF-related closure of 2 farms in Lack, Lubelskie province, in early August. These farms had 136 and 141 pigs respectively.