Armenia also hit by African Swine Fever

This weekend, Armenian agricultural authorities confirmed reports that several rural communities in the North-Eastern provinces of Lori and Tavush have been affected by African Swine Fever (ASF).

Last week, the disease was reported in the autonomous region of Abchazia in Northern Georgia after a summer with many outbreaks in Georgia.

Now Armenia, south of Georgia and north of Iran, has become the next victim of the virus that usually does not spread north of the Sahara.

Authorities said that in the villages of Vahagnadzor, Vahagni, Pambak and Dsekh pigs died in mass.

Penetration
Grisha Baghian, head of food safety and veterinary medicine department of the ministry, said the infectious disease has most probably penetrated from neighbouring Georgia, where it has killed already over 30,000 pigs and where about 22,000 pigs had to be culled.

The ministry said it has ordered swift preventive measures to ward off spread of the disease.

Ban
In some areas of both provinces the ban on pig movements and marketing was enforced.

Pig owners were told to burn the carcasses of dead pigs and also strict entry and exit controls between all infected and free areas have been enforced, all vehicles and people entering and leaving farms must undergo strict disinfection procedures.

In the meantime, veterinary officials from the Georgian ministry of agriculture have met with their Abkhaz and Russian colleagues to discuss the outbreak of the disease in the regions affected .

Related news items:
• “All pigs in east Abchazia should be killed” (23 Aug 2007)
• Georgia: more cases of African Swine Fever (21 Aug 2007)

Related websites:
• Armenian ministry of agriculture
• Georgian ministry of agriculture

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