Poland has registered a further 12 outbreaks of African swine fever during the past week.
So far this year, the number of African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks among domestic pigs in Poland has reached 50.
Over the past week, the country’s chief veterinary office has notified 12 new outbreaks, which have been confirmed in the period August 6-11. Affected were a total of 937 pigs, mainly in herds of up to 20 animals. However, one of the premises was reported to have 699 pigs (including 56 sows), and two more had 60-80 pigs.
All of these latest cases occurred in the eastern province of Lublin, where previous outbreaks have been confirmed in domestic pigs and wild boar.
Of the 50 confirmed Polish outbreaks so far, 36 have been in Lublin, and a further 10 in other eastern provinces — Mazovia, Podkarpackie, and Warmia-Masuria. Of the remaining outbreaks, two have occurred in the central province of Greater Poland (Wielkopolskie), and two more in Lubusz in the west, which borders Germany.
Directly impacted by the disease have been more than 44,400 animals in the country since the first confirmed cases in March.
In 2019, Poland registered a total of 48 ASF outbreaks among domestic pigs with the Animal Disease Notification System operated by the European Commission.
ASF hits another Romanian farm, backyard herds
Among the ASF outbreaks reported by the veterinary authority over the past week was a farm with 12,630 pigs. Five of the animals died at the premises in Galati, a county in eastern Romania.
The 36 ASF outbreaks confirmed to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) over the past week involved a total of more than 13,200 pigs. Apart from the farm, and another with 237 animals, the outbreaks were among backyard herds of up to 43 pigs. Outbreaks were widely distributed across Romania.
Spike in Russian ASF outbreaks
Over the past week, Russia’s agriculture ministry has reported 15 new ASF outbreaks to the OIE. All occurred in Samara oblast, which is in Volga federal district.
Affected were a total of 182 pigs. They belonged to backyard and village herds of up to 61 animals.
New ASF cases among wild boar in 4 European states
Continuing a recent trend, Hungary has registered with the OIE the highest number of cases of ASF among wild boar over the past week. Of the total of 63 animals, 42 were located in a northeastern region that shares a border with Slovakia.
Also reporting new cases in ASF to the OIE over the past week were Romania (20 animals), Latvia (17) and Russia (12).
Moldova’s animal health agency continues to register no new cases with the OIE. It has recorded no new infections among wild boar since mid-May.
Researchers in the U.S. have developed a new method of ASF testing. They say it could result in faster and more widespread testing for the disease.
View our continuing coverage of the global African swine fever situation.
