Bosnia has reported an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Friday.
The disease was detected in a farm pig in the town of Bijeljina in the country’s autonomous Serb Republic, WOAH said, citing a report from Bosnian authorities.
(Reporting by Gus TrompizEditing by Christina Fincher)
ASF is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, whose mortality rate can reach 100%. It is not a danger to human health, but it has devastating effects on pig populations and the farming economy. There is currently no effective vaccine against ASF. In addition, the virus is highly resistant in the environment, which means it can survive on clothes, boots, wheels and other materials. It can also survive in various pork products, such as ham, sausages or bacon, WOAH explains.
China first reported ASF in 2018, resulting in the depopulation of millions of pigs and a dramatic decline in meat output in the global markets.
