Russia could be free of ASF

Frosts in the European part of Russia are hampering the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF), which could result in the country for the first time in almost two years having no commercial zone with a quarantined area due to this disease.

Russian veterinary services reported that on 16 January, a quarantine was lifted in several areas of the Ivanovo region, while on 26 January the authorities plan to remove the quarantine simultaneously from the territory of the whole Krasnodar region – most affected by ASF, where restrictions on trade and transportation of pigs were operate during all past year.

As a result, by the end of January the quarantine due to ASF can be kept only in the national park Zavidovo, Tver and Moscow regions of Russia, which is not a commercial area, since there are no pig farms.

“If there are no new outbreaks of African Swine Fever from the entire region, the quarantine imposed last year will be removed,” this has recently been stated at the meeting of the Special Commission on the ASF control under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of Krasnodar Region.

“All outbreaks that have been identified in the past year, have already been localised and eliminated,” said George Dzhailidi, head of veterinary department of the Krasnodar region. “As of 1 January 2013 in the region there is still a 30-day supervision due to ASF at pig farms Crock in Krasnoarmeysk district, Druzba in Primorsko-Akhtarsk district and Delimit in the Kalinin district.”