Europe’s ASF outbreak total approaches 300

For Ukraine, confirmation of an African swine fever (ASF) outbreak at a farm in Sumy represents the return of the disease to the region.

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Total outbreaks among wild boar in Europe this year will soon exceed the number reported for all of 2019.

For Ukraine, confirmation of an African swine fever (ASF) outbreak at a farm in Sumy represents the return of the disease to the region.

Latest to be affected was a herd of 23 pigs, one of which died, according to the official report to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Ukraine’s animal health agency reports that the last cases of ASF in this area were in June 2019. Source of the latest infection is unknown.

Bordering Russia, Sumy is in the northeast of Ukraine.

This is the second notification of the return of ASF in Ukraine in as many weeks. After a brief absence, the infection returned to the southern oblast of Zaporizhia on May 20.

New cases in Romania, Russia

Continuing a recent pattern, the majority of the 11 outbreaks reported by Romania to the OIE over the past week were in backyard herds. However, at 2,330, total losses of pigs were increased by two farm outbreaks. With around 900 and 1,386 pigs, these commercial premises were located in the south of the country in counties bordering Bulgaria and Serbia.

The latest outbreak in Russia affected a backyard herd of 20 pigs in Smolensk oblast this month. One animal died, according to the agriculture ministry report to the OIE, and the rest of the herd was culled.

Smolensk oblast is in the Central Federal District. The most recent outbreak in this series had been in a wild boar in the Republic of Adygea at the end of April.

Up to May 24, the European Commission (EC) had registered a total of 286 ASF outbreaks in domestic pigs in Europe so far this year through its Animal Disease Notification System (ADNS).

This represents an increase of 12 from the previous week’s report. Romania accounted for 11 of the latest outbreaks, and there was one new outbreak in Ukraine.

From this source, by far worst affected country in Europe so far this year has been Romania (258 outbreaks), followed by Bulgaria with 17. Also reporting cases in 2020 were Ukraine (6 outbreaks), Poland (2), and Greece, Lithuania and Moldova, each with one outbreak.

5 European states report new ASF outbreaks among wild boar

With a total of 540, Poland has reported the most new cases of ASF in wild boar to the OIE over the past week. All of the animals were found dead or culled up to the end of January of this year. The majority of cases — 316 — were from the eastern provinces of Lublin, Masovia, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie and Warmia-Masuria. The other 224 wild boar were in Lubusz and Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland), which are in the west of the country.

Over the past week, OIE also received confirmation of further outbreaks in wild animals from Hungary (155 animals), Romania (16), Latvia (3) and Moldova (1).

There have been a total of 6,285 cases of ASF in European wild boar so far this year, according to the EC. This was an increase of 237 cases from the previous week — including 120 in Hungary and 92 in Poland.

At 2,544 and 2,487, respectively, Hungary and Poland have reported the highest number of infected animals since the start of 2020.

Other countries that have reported significant numbers of ASF-infected wild boar to the EC so far this year are Romania (480 cases), Bulgaria (320), Latvia (114), Slovakia (112) and Lithuania (96). Italy, Serbia, Estonia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belgium have also confirmed ASF in wild boar this year, but in fewer than around 40 animals.

View our continuing coverage of the global African swine fever situation.

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