African swine fever (ASF) is ravaging pig farms in Italy, with at least 24 separate outbreaks and hundreds of farms affected, the Daily Express reports. In total, more than 60,000 pigs have been culled.
Italian pig farmers have warned that the outbreaks could have major ramifications for the country’s sausage, prosciutto and pork sales which are worth a combined total of $9 billion, the article said.
The government of Georgia Meloni recently appointed a Director General of Animal Health, veterinarian Giovanni Filippini, to deal with the worst outbreak of swine fever in Italy since the 1960s.
Filippini has noted18 swine fever hotspots in Lombardy, five in Piedmont, and one in Emilia Romagna. Italy is home to nearly 9 million pigs and the industry employs around 50,000 people.
To contain the outbreaks, Italian soldiers have been deployed to use drones and thermal imaging to help track animal movements, the Daily Express reports.
The president of Confagricoltura Swine Producers Rudy Milani said there is one word to describe the sentiment of Italian pig farmers now: terrified.
Although this virus is deadly to pigs, it poses no food safety or human health risks. Pork is safe to eat.
However, the economic impact is devastating not only on culled animals, but by the loss of export markets. Pork exports to China, Japan, Asia in general and some American countries were blocked a few days after Italy first discovered the virus, the article said. It is estimated that producers have lost nearly $550 million since January 2022 due to lost exports.
The presence of the virus in wild boars poses the biggest threat to attempts to contain the virus within Italian borders and not spread to neighboring Spain, the article explains. EU experts are warning people not to hunt wild boars in response, fearing it will cause migration of the boars.
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