Poland reports second case of African Swine Fever
A second wild boar that died of African Swine Fever (ASF) has been found in Poland, at about 15 km from the first pig that was reported last week.
Dutch agricultural title Boerderij has reported that both dead animals were found in the country’s East, close to the border with Belarus. The European Commission stated that extra measures are being applied in these areas and checks have been increased.
Officials have ordered farmers to fence in their land, lay down disinfectant mats and test and monitor shipments of live pigs out of the zone.
Worries for further infection
On its website, the British National Pig Association stated that rather than contamination through wild boars, infected meat would be the cause of the continuing outbreak: “The most likely route of the disease into Britain is via infected meat products getting onto a pig unit. African Swine Fever will survive for many weeks, even months, in raw, cured and cooked meats, and on objects such as vehicles, equipment and clothes.”
The piece continued to say, “Because many British pig unit workers are from eastern Europe there is now a heightened risk of the disease entering a British unit.” Worries are also growing in Denmark, as there are many live pig trade contacts between Denmark and Poland.
At the same time, major pig exporting countries like France, Denmark and the Netherlands, aim to prove to the Russians they are free from ASF. They have told the Russians they can provide guarantees on the traceability of their farm animals and are ready to resume pork exports immediately.
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