In Europe, the total number of African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks in domestic pigs has exceeded 2,300 so far this year, while those involving wild boars exceed 6,000.
In the southeastern Balkan region, the increase in ASF outbreaks in recent weeks has been particularly alarming.
In response to what is described as a “drastic spread” of the virus, Bulgaria’s food safety agency BFSA recently invited experts from other countries in the region to share their experiences on the disease and its control in the national capital, Sofia. Greece, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia were represented at the meeting.
Among the key conclusions reached by participants was the importance of working together to best utilize the region’s resources to prevent, control and ultimately eradicate ASF. To achieve this, transparent reporting, active surveillance and early detection of cases have been identified as essential for effective disease control.
In commercial and backyard pigs, experts have agreed on the essential role of biosecurity in preventing the introduction and spread of the ASF virus.
For high-risk areas, the group agreed that preventive culling should be considered for non-commercial pigs kept in premises with a low level of biosecurity. Furthermore, participants saw the need for a long-term strategy to manage the wild boar population in the region.
New cases of ASF detected in Swedish wild boars
Last week, officials confirmed first cases of ASF in Sweden.
Seven wild boars were infected with the virus in one area, according to the official notification to World Organization for Animal Health (WOW). In south-central V CountyAIn the UK, six of the animals were found dead and another was put down in late August. The carcass tests were carried out as part of a national monitoring program.
So far it has not been possible to identify the source of the infection, according to the Swedish Veterinary Service. SVA. No cases have been detected and reported in neighboring countries.
Public access to a control zone has been set up around the town of Fagersta, where authorities are looking for any further cases of ASF.
Total number of outbreaks in domestic pigs in Europe exceeds 2,300
Already this year, the total number of confirmed ASF outbreaks in domestic pigs reached 2,322. Covering EU member states and their immediate neighbors, this is according to the Animal Disease Information System of the European Union. European Commission (CE; as of September 1).
Since the previous update published on August 20, the total has increased by 233. The number of countries with confirmed outbreaks remains at 16.
For comparison, 12 European states recorded a total of 537 outbreaks in this population with the EC during the year 2022. Of these, 329 occurred in Romania.
Croatia is the country with the highest number of outbreaks in domestic pigs so far this year, with a total of 589 outbreaks, an increase of 106 compared to the previous 11 days. Next come Bosnia and Herzegovina with 570 households, Romania (557) and Serbia (508).
The next highest totals are far behind these Baltic states. There have been 21 outbreaks so far this year in Poland and 19 in Moldova, according to EC data. Four more outbreaks in this population were recorded in Kosovo, bringing the total to eight in 2023.
More details on the latest outbreaks in Europe’s farms and gardens
According to the latest update from Poland chief veterinary office, 22 outbreaks of ASF have been confirmed in domestic pigs in the country (as of September 8). The most recent outbreak involved a backyard flock of 19 animals in the west-central province of Greater Poland (Wielkopolskie).
Over the past two weeks, the Romanian Animal Health Agency has informed WOAH of new ASF outbreaks (55). They were all in small herds.
The Republic of Serbia has also officially registered many new outbreaks in backyard flocks. Each with between one and 11 pigs, the 25 affected farms were all in southern Banat and tested positive for the virus in late June or early July. Cases have already been recorded in this district located in the northeast of the country.
Meanwhile, the first ASF outbreak on a commercial farm has been confirmed in North Macedonia. According to WOAH’s notification, the outbreak began on August 23 at a farm housing 9,151 pigs in Karbinci. It is also the first outbreak in this east-central municipality, which is part of the Eastern statistical region.
After a hiatus of more than two years, the ASF virus has been detected again in Vinnytsia province in west-central Ukraine. Late last month, 25 of 831 pigs died on a commercial farm. The source of infection is unknown. Other recent outbreaks affected a farm in the neighboring province of Kirovohrad, as well as two backyard flocks in the kyiv region.
In northern Italy, the presence of ASF virus was confirmed in six other pig herds. Although all are located in the Lombardy region of the Pavia province, full details of the sizes of the affected herds have not yet been reported to WOAH.
ASF hits 3 farms in western Russian region
The EC disease surveillance system does not cover Russia.
After a six-month hiatus, Russia’s animal health agency reported to WOAH that cases of ASF were detected again at the end of August in Krasnodar Krai.
Until September 5, three business units located in different districts were directly affected. With between 696 and 11,867 pigs each, the total number of domestic animals affected to date stands at 13,450. While two of the sites appear to be approximately 30 kilometers apart, the third is more than 100 kilometers to the southwest.
The source of infection is unknown in the Republic, which is part of Russia’s North Caucasus Federal District.
ASF outbreaks were also detected in two backyard flocks.
In the Kursk Central Federal District region, no cases of the virus were detected between mid-February and the end of August. Then, last month, all eight pigs in one herd died and subsequently tested positive for ASF.
After a brief interruption, ASF was identified as the cause of death of the only pig on a farm in Samara Oblast, Volga Federal District.
In the same district, four other ASF infections were registered with WOAH in wild boars. Three animals tested positive for the virus in the Republic of Mari El and one in Nizhny Novgorod.
Over the past two weeks, Russian veterinary authorities have told WOAH that the ASF situation has been “resolved” in one area of the Volga Federal District. No further cases have been reported in the Udmurtia Republic since a wild boar tested positive for the ASF virus in mid-July.
Total number of ASF outbreaks in European wild boars exceeds 6,000
Since the start of the year, the total number of ASF outbreaks in Europe has reached 6,076, according to the European Commission information system (as of September 1). This is the latest total of 19 countries that have recorded one or more outbreaks through this system since January 1.
Since the previous EC update on August 20, 12 states have reported new cases of ASF in this population.
This year, Poland has the highest number of outbreaks in this category, with a total of 2,162. Next come Germany (now with 820), Italy (781), Latvia (519). , Slovakia (498) and Hungary (349).
In addition to these six countries, Croatia, the Czech Republic (Czechia), Estonia, Kosovo, Lithuania and Romania have also reported new ASF outbreaks to the EC system since the previous update.
For comparison, there were a total of 7,442 outbreaks of ASF in wild boars in 15 European countries covered by the community system over the whole of 2022.
In Germany, the ASF virus was first detected in September 2020. Since then, positive cases among wild boars in the country have reached 5,543, according to the ministry. national veterinary agency FLI (as of September 8). This figure includes 38 confirmed cases in the previous 28 days.
Since ASF was detected again in the Czech Republic at the end of 2022, 53 cases in wild boars have been confirmed by the state veterinary service.
All were found in the northern region of Liberec, including 52 in one district. Following the recent increase in cases, the service recently added two additional municipalities to the area covered by the strictest restrictions on pig farming and wild boar hunting.
Check out our ongoing coverage of the global situation of African swine fever.