Brussels, 11/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 10 September, the experts of the EU states approved an EU co-financed programme of €2.5 million aiming to prevent outbreaks of African Swine Fever from reaching the EU. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland will be covered by the programme.
The programme lays emphasis on preventative measures: cleaning and disinfection of vehicles, surveillance and laboratory testing, awareness campaigns, the use of wild boar repellents and the preventative early slaughter of pigs in high-risk farms. All of this promotes prevention rather than cure. The recent outbreaks of the disease in Russia and Belarus are a threat to EU pig farms. African Swine Fever could enter the EU through the illegal introduction of pig products, via contaminated livestock vehicles or the migration of infected wild boar. This infectious disease is usually fatal and no vaccine exists to combat the virus. Its spread into the EU would cause major losses for the pig sector and disrupt the internal market and exports of live pigs and pork products. (LC/transl.fl)