Russia: New large-scale outbreak of ASF

26-09-2011 | Home | News

In Staroscherbinovskoy a village in the Scherbinovskiy district, 68 pigs recently died. African swine fever is the cause of the deaths according to the veterinary laboratory.

This occurrence took place on the farm of the agricultural industrial complex “Banner of Lenin.” Veterinary Services are currently carrying out a complex of necessary measures for localisation of infection –officials of Rosselkhoznadzor for the Krasnodar Region reported.

However, local farmers say that the impact of this ASF outbreak can be incredibly destructive. The farm where an outbreak of a dangerous virus has been registered is located in the “heart” of the pig industry of the Krasnodar region, and nowadays according to official figures the total number of pigs in the threatened area has amounted to 20, 687 heads.

The veterinary services reported that at a few nearby farms ASF has been suspected. “If we can not stop the spread of the fever now, if it will spread to neighbouring farms, it is very likely that we won’t be able to stop it at all. The whole pork industry of the Krasnodar region is endangered now and perhaps the neighbouring regions will soon be affected too. African swine fever has never been so real and a serious threat as it is now,” stated representatives of the Pig Association. In the Krasnodar region a state of emergency has been introduced, the Ministry of Emergency Situations as well as all veterinary services were alarmed.

(By Vladislav Vorotnikov)