Four new cases of African Swine Fever in Sardinia
At the Italian island of Sardina, four new outbreaks of African Swine Fever have been confirmed in December 2011 and January 2012, Dutch agricultural newspaper Boerderij Vandaag reports. At the island only, the disease is endemic.
The European Union reported this. Sardinia has already been known for years as a high-risk zone for African Swine Fever. Infections were found in the middle and eastern part of the island. Earlier discoveries could mainly be found in the island’s south and west.
In total, the Italian island counts 450 pig farms varkensbedrijven. Authorities have already been monitoring farms, abattoirs and export locations. In addition, a control programme for wild boars has been conducted for a longer time. The Italian authorities also would like to enhance biosecurity at the farms.
With these measures, the country hopes to control the disease, for which no vaccine is available. This would positively affect export bans of pigs and pork products from Sardinia.
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