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Due to the proximity of the ASF cases in Belgium to the border with Luxembourg, the government's main priority is to avoid the infection of domestic pigs, and with this aim additional measures have been implemented after checking with the interested parties.
The measures are:
- Establishing a surveillance area, its limits being, to the north the A6 motorway from Steinfort to Luxembourg, to the east the A4 motorway from Luxembourg to Esch-sur-Alzette, as well as the Belgian and French borders.
- Hunting is still allowed in this area.
- An active search of possible wild boar corpses has been established.
- Urgent reminders to the farmers so they follow the biosecurity measures.
- An informative meeting with the farmers was held on September 27th, 2018.
- Obligation of confining the domestic pigs housed within the surveillance area.
The Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture and Consumer Protection, Mr Fernand Etgen, states that these regulations are provisional, and that they may be abolished or strengthened depending on the evolution of the situation. Therefore, the Task Force remains active and is ready to meet at any moment if the circumstances demand so.
Also, the authorities of Luxembourg keep a constant contact with the European, Belgian and French relevant authorities to stop the spreading of the virus.
Meetings with hunters, forest wardens and the Forestry and Nature Administration have been held to describe the procedures to carry out when wild boar corpses are found.
Mr Fernand Etgen points out that so far, no African swine fever cases have been detected in wild boars in Luxembourg.
An animal health surveillance network has been implemented, and every finding of a wild boar corpse without an obvious cause of death must be reported to the following phone number: 40 22 01-666 (Nature and Forests Administration).
Wednesday, September 18th, 2018/ Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Consumer Protection/ Luxembourg.
https://gouvernement.lu
