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Recently, the cases of African swine fever (ASF) have increased significantly in Poland, Ukraine and Russia. Moreover, an outbreak in domestic pigs occurred recently in Estonia in an area currently not listed in the EU restricted zones. The reach of the evolution of the disease in these countries as well as in the Baltic states can be clearly seen on the maps that compare the outbreaks notified to OIE in 2016 with respect to the two previous years.
Poland
The disease has expanded considerably in this country during August. Since the initial notification of the disease in February 2014, only two outbreaks were notified in domestic pigs in 2014, and one in 2015, always on small farms, whilst in 2016 they have been notified on 15 farms that house from a few to 500 pigs: 14 of these outbreaks have appeared in August. This country’s media attribute this recent expansion of the disease to a possible illegal trade of pigs.
Apart from these cases in domestic pigs, the disease is still circulating among the wild boar population. Up to now, in 2016, 30 outbreaks have been notified, all of them in the province Podlaskie, near the border with Belarus.
The recent spread of the disease in domestic pigs has happened mainly in the province of Podlaskie, as we can see on the map. Nevertheless, three outbreaks have appeared in the province of Lubelskie, and one in the province of Mazowieckie, in the area bordering the province of Podlaskie. This has entailed the extension of the areas subjected to restrictions where specific control measures are implemented.
Evolution of ASF in Poland (click to enlarge the image).
Lithuania
The outbreaks notified by Lithuania to the WHO up to August 2016 have been 204, almost double of the outbreaks in 2015. Nevertheless, most of them affect wild boars, and only 17 affect small farms.
Evolution of ASF in Lithuania (click to enlarge the image).
Ukraine
The situation of the ASF in Ukraine is becoming complicated by the progression of the disease in the central area of the country from the north to the southwest, in the border with Moldova and Romania. See the evolution on the map, where we can check that the disease has entered 5 new provinces this year. Most outbreaks involve domestic pigs, mainly in backyard farms but also commercial farms.
Evolution of ASF in Ukraine (click to enlarge the image).
Russia
The ASF virus still is in full bloom in Russia, that has notified 186 outbreaks in 2016 (in 2015 there were 91), 53 of them in wild boars and 133 in domestic pigs, affecting a vast area in the country. The small backyard farms are the most affected ones, but nevertheless, 11 commercial farms have been affected, 4 of them with 8,000-18,000 pigs.
Evolution of ASF in Russia (click to enlarge the image).
Estonia and Latvia
Since the beginning of this disease in these countries in 2014, they have notified several ASF outbreaks to the OIE that have affected wild boars as well as domestic pigs. Nevertheless, since October 2015, the notified cases have basically affected wild boars. By early April 2016, they informed that although the situation has not been resolved, it is sufficiently stable, and they will not issue new reports to OIE for 6 months.
However several outbreaks have occurred since July in both countries, one of the outbreaks involving domestic pigs and one case in a feral pig were declared in an area currently not listed in the EU restricted zones.
Evolution of ASF in Estonia and Latvia (click to enlarge the image).
Friday, 2 September 2016
3tres3’s editorial office
OIE/www.oie.int
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/
