African swine fever (ASF) has been detected in domestic pigs in Latvia for the first time this year. Latvia is located between Lithuania and Estonia on the Baltic Sea.
Its landscape, marked by wide beaches as well as dense, sprawling forests, has a high population of wild pigs. The virus has been circulating widely in its wild pig population, according to Pig World. In the first half of 2024, ASF was detected in 601 wild pigs were detected with ASF and that number is expected to rise rapidly. In 2023, more than 1,000 wild pigs were confirmed to have the ASF virus.
Pig World reports that the deadly virus of swine was detected in domestic pigs at a farm in Matīši parish, in Valmiera municipality. The disease was found in a small commercial operation with 527 pigs.
This is the first case of the disease detected in domestic pig holdings in Latvia this year, the Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) said.
The PVD is following through with eradication and containment measures as well as epidemiological investigations, the article said. All pigs on the farm will be slaughtered to eliminate the outbreak and prevent further spread of the disease.
A quarantine zone has also been established around the farm and other farms in the area will be subject to surveillance and compliance with biosecurity requirements. Restrictions on the movement of pigs and pig products have been imposed in the quarantine zone, the article said.
ASF is highly contagious among pigs but poses no food safety or health threats to humans. Learn more here.
Read More:
It’s Time to Talk About Depopulation in the U.S. Swine Industry
