0
On January 9th, the Government of Wallonia announced that the wild boars were ASF-positive outside of the buffer area (zone I), within the strengthened surveillance area (SSA) (zone II), between Meix-devant-Virton and Sommethonne. These two cases confirm the strong increase of the ASF cases towards the west of Belgium, that are reaching the border with France. These are the two first cases detected beyond the fences built in Belgium surrounding zone II. As a reminder, this fence is discontinuous because of the urbanised areas and the roads.
The Belgian authorities have announced that, as a result of these new discoveries, the buffer area will spread over part of the strengthened surveillance area (over the southwest), therefore modifying the operational control zones. Measures to increase the control system have also been implemented: surveillance of all the areas and systematic search of infected dead animals, strict fulfilment of the biosecurity regulations, the building of an additional fence to the west of the Pin-Orval-Limes-Gérouville-Sommethonne-Villers-la-Loue axis, and the intensification of the efforts to kill wild boars (placing of traps).
Wednesday, January 9th, 2019/ ESA/ France. https://www.plateforme-esa.fr
