So far this year, 25 regions in western Russia have detected at least one case of African swine fever in domestic pigs and/or wild boar.
With first cases of African swine fever (ASF) of 2022 confirmed in two more areas, the number of regions of Russia registering at least one case of ASF has risen to 25.
Among the latest outbreaks is one affecting a large farm in Oryol oblast, according to the official notification to World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). The district is in the country’s Central federal district.
The affected premises belongs to one of Russia’s largest producers, Miratorg, the company reported on September 5. While the firm and its staff at the site were working to eliminate the disease, Miratorg’s other pig farms were free of the disease, and operating normally.
Russia’s other latest ASF outbreaks in domestic swine were in smaller herds, according to WOAH reports. Also testing positive for the ASF virus were individual herds of between two and 136 animals in Kaluga, Tver and Volgograd.
The first two of these regions are also in the Central federal district, while the latter is part of the Southern federal district.
As well as these outbreaks in domestic pigs, Russia’s veterinary authority has also notified WOAH of 13 wild boar that have recently tested positive for the ASF virus. Among these were 12 animals in Nizhny Novgorod (Volga federal district) — the first infected cases in 2022. In addition, one more infected wild boar has been found dead in the Moscow region.
ASF outbreak total among Europe’s pigs continues upwards
Since January 1, the number of confirmed ASF outbreaks in domestic pigs in Europe has reached 370.
This is according to the Animal Disease Information System of the European Commission (EC; as of September 5). So far this year, 12 European states have now officially registered one or more ASF outbreaks through this system.
For comparison, 11 European states registered a total of 1,874 ASF outbreaks with the EC over the whole of 2021.
Registering the most outbreaks in 2022 has been Romania with 214. This is followed by Serbia whose total has jumped by 28 since early July to stand at 77.
Also confirming new outbreaks to the EC over the previous week were North Macedonia (five new outbreaks), Latvia (one) and Lithuania (two).
In Poland, the number of outbreaks for the year has risen by one to 14. This is according to the chief veterinary office. Latest to be affected was a farm with 15 pigs in the northeastern province of Warmia-Masuria.
Europe’s wild boar total for year approaches 5,200
So far this year, 5,191 ASF outbreaks among wild boar have occurred in Europe, according to the EC notification system (as of September 5). Registering one or more outbreaks in 2022 have been 14 of the continent’s states.
Within this population, recording the most outbreaks with the EC in 2022 has been Poland (1,429), followed by Germany (1,188), Latvia (527), Hungary (469), Slovakia (448) and Romania (346).
Since the previous update from this source (dated August 28), Italy, Lithuania and Serbia have also registered new cases in wild boar though this system.
For comparison, 12 countries confirmed with the EC one or more ASF cases in wild boar — a total of 12,150 outbreaks — during the whole of 2021.
In Germany, ASF was first detected in September 2020. Since then, 4,286 wild boar have tested positive for the ASF virus (as of September 10), according to national veterinary agency, the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute. This is an increase of 28 since August 26. Latest cases occurred in three of the nation’s eastern states — Brandenburg, Saxony and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania — where previous virus-positive animals have been found.
UK amends pig meat import rules
At the end of August, the government of the United Kingdom (U.K.) amended the rules covering imports of pig meat products into the country.
With immediate effect, the maximum amount of these products an individual may bring into the country from a European Union (EU) state is 2 kg. Larger quantities can only be imported through official channels, requiring official checks. The ban on bringing in pork and similar products from countries outside the EU remains in place.
Changes were made to protect the U.K. pig industry, which has never had an ASF case, reports the government department for the environment, food and rural affairs, Defra.
View our continuing coverage of the global African swine fever situation.
