ASF spread to Western Europe

Submitted by bashun on Thu, 09/20/2018 - 16:50

Lately in the Belgian province of Luxembourg two cases of African swine fever (ASF) were recorded, UNN reported with reference to rtbf.be.

"This information is confirmed by the Minister of Agriculture of Wallonia (Luxembourg Province - Ed.) Rene Kollen," the local newspaper stated.

It is also reported that the Walloon authorities are taking measures against the spread of the disease, recalling that the ASF virus is not dangerous to humans, but is highly contagious for the pigs and wild boars.

ASF was recorded in the Ethal commune located near the border with France. In this regard, all relevant services were mobilized in France to prevent the virus from entering the border regions with Belgium. As reported by UNN, this year, ASF was recorded in China for the first time.

In Ukraine, however, the ASF has not ceased for five years. Last year on the territory of our state about 170 outbreaks of the disease were registered; this year - about a hundred.

Losses borne by Ukrainian farmers due to the spread of the virus are estimated in billions of UAH.

Farmer public organizations accuse the authorities of inaction.

"The state does not conduct effective work on the depopulation of wild pigs, as, for example, it is done with our neighbors - Estonia or Latvia ... Once again, I appeal to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy to switch from words to deeds. In this situation it is necessary to react as quickly as possible and implement the state strategy of overcoming ASF in Ukraine in the shortest possible time," the head of the Ukrainian Stock Breeders Association Iryna Palamar noted.

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