Two More Countries Confirm Outbreaks of Deadly African Swine Fever Virus

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 17:39:03 GMT

Two more countries reported outbreaks of the deadly African swine fever (ASF) virus to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) this week.

Hungary discovered ASF in nine wild boars throughout the country in the past week, OIE said. Four of the boars were found dead and the others were killed, Reuters reports.

Meanwhile, Latvia confirmed 19 cases of ASF in wild boars from throughout the country in the past week. The OIE report showed that six boars were found dead, and the others were killed.

These two reports come less than a week after Italy announced an outbreak of this highly transmissible virus of pigs only in the region of Piedmont, in the northern region of the country.

In addition, authorities in Thailand were accused of covering up an outbreak of ASF this week. On Tuesday, Thai authorities confirmed ASF in a surface swab sample collected from a slaughterhouse , marking the country’s first official confirmation of the disease.

One sample had tested positive for ASF out of 309 collected, including blood samples from pigs at 10 farms and surface swabs at two slaughterhouses in swine-raising provinces, an authority from the Department of Livestock Development said in a Reuters article.

This followed an announcement days earlier after Kasetsart University said its laboratory had last month found the disease in a dead pet pig in Thailand.

ASF is a deadly disease of swine only – it poses no food safety or human health risks.

Learn more about ASF here.

More from Farm Journal’s PORK:

Thailand Detects African Swine Fever in Sample at Slaughterhouse

Thailand Rejects Allegations of African Swine Fever Cover-Up

Pet Pig’s Death Prompts African Swine Fever Probe in Thailand