Over the past week, Poland has confirmed one new outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in domestic pigs, bringing its total to the milestone of 100 outbreaks so far this year.
There has been just one case of African swine fever (ASF) in Poland over the past week, reports the nation’s chief veterinary office. Affected was an individual animal in the province of Sub-Carpathia (Podcarpackie). Bringing the country’s total pigs directly affected by the disease to 56,970, this latest outbreak is significant. It brings Poland’s total outbreaks so far this year to 100.
First Polish ASF cases were identified in March. Like the most recent outbreak, many outbreaks since then have involved small backyard herds. However, the disease has also struck some large commercial units, including 16 outbreaks in herds of more than 300 pigs. Cases have been confirmed in seven provinces, with Lublin in the east of the country accounting for 61 of the outbreaks.
Over the past week, Poland’s agriculture ministry has registered a further 12 outbreaks in domestic pigs to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). These included outbreaks starting in the period August 26 to September 24.
Further ASF cases in Romanian, Russian pigs
Romania’s veterinary authority has registered a further 35 outbreaks of ASF in its domestic pigs to the OIE.
Affected were a total of more than 6,900 animals. However, one of the outbreaks was on a farm with almost 6,600 pigs, and another was on a registered holding with 57 animals. All the other latest outbreaks were in small backyard herds with no more than 40 pigs.
The latest Russian outbreak was also on a small farm. With just 30 pigs — seven of which died — the affected premises was in Voronezh oblast, which is in the Central federal district. While there have been previous cases in the same oblast, the majority of the recently reported outbreaks have been in Samara oblast (Volga district).
For the month up to October 7, 39 new outbreaks of ASF were reported to the European Commission (EC) through its Animal Disease Notification System. As well as 35 Romanian outbreaks, there were two in Poland, and one each in Bulgaria and the Republic of Moldova. EC figures do not cover Russia.
ASF situation in Germany
Total number of German wild boar infected with ASF has risen to 69, according to the latest update from the federal agriculture ministry. While three of the latest cases have been located in the original core zone (Oder-Spree and Spree-Neisse), the fourth was in the newer zone in Märkisch-Oderland. All three districts are in the eastern state of Brandenburg.
Over the past week, the ministry has registered 19 new cases in wild boar with the OIE. Identified with the disease in the period October 6-18, 14 of these animals were found in Oder-Spree, three in Spress-Neisse, and two in Märkisch-Oderland.
There have still been no ASF among Germany’s domestic pigs. However, the agriculture ministry reports restrictions are in place on the around 300 pig producers in the restricted zone in Brandenburg. Around 85,000 animals are covered by these controls, which aim to prevent the further transmission of the disease to either farmed pigs or new areas.
Rising cases among European wild boar
Also reporting to the OIE new cases of ASF among their respective wild boar populations over the past week were Hungary (27 animals), Latvia (11), Romania (5) and Russia (1).
There have been no further cases in the Republic of Moldova.
Belgium’s animal health agency has declared to the OIE that the ASF situation in its wild boar has been “resolved.”
Since September 2018, there were 646 ASF-positive cases in the country. All were in wild boar, and within a control zone in the southern province of Luxembourg. The most recent “case” was a positive result in March in the remains of an animal that had died at least six months previously.
For the month up to October 7, the EC has been notified about 124 new cases of ASF among wild boar. Of these, 50 were in Poland, and 36 in Hungary. Also registering recent cases were Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia.
View our continuing coverage of the global African swine fever situation.
