African swine exceeds EU limit

Advance of the deadly animal disease alarmed experts

01/30/2014

The highly contagious and usually deadly African swine fever (ASP) is apparently moving with great strides from the east to the area of ​​the European Union. This is currently reported by the Federal Research Institute for Animal Health (Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut) (FLI). According to the report, the dangerous animal disease poses an increasing danger also to German pig herds after the virus has been detected in Lithuanian wild boar.

Swine fever at the end of January 2014 in Lithuania for the first time
At the so-called „African swine fever“ (or „African Swine Fever“) is a serious viral infection affecting domestic and wild boars - according to the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), humans and other domestic and wild animals are not endangered. As the FLI reports, the African swine fever occurred in late January 2014 in Lithuania for the first time in two regions on the border with Belarus, thus reaching EU territory. Previously, Belarus had already reported first cases in the border region with Poland in June 2013. „An introduction into other countries of the European Union can not be excluded“, such as the FLI communication - for example, about transport vehicles coming from affected regions or products of non-cooked meat (ham, salami, etc.) of infected animals. Here, follow the institute „especially the (illegal) feeding of food waste [...] is a source of infection.“

Virus is „extremely stable and is transmitted very efficiently, especially via blood“
Sandra Blome, director of the National Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut reports that the virus is highly infectious in domestic and domestic swine „extremely stable and is transmitted very efficiently, especially via blood“ - „without blood, the ability to contagion is moderate, so it must not come to an explosive spread in a stock“, said the ASP expert in an article in the science magazine "Forschungs-Report".

Nearly every infected animal falls victim to the disease
According to Laboratory Director Blome, it is particularly worrying that African swine fever causes a very serious general illness, „in which usually 100 percent of the affected animals die within ten days.“ In many cases, the symptoms would be nonspecific, including fever, respiratory problems, refusal to feed or blueing of the skin. There is no vaccine against the disease so far. If the virus spread here, therefore, would have according to the „Protection against swine fever and African swine fever“ the affected stocks are culled. In addition, restricted areas would have to be set up and strict transport and trade restrictions would be established, Blome continued.

Introduction would have devastating effects on the German pig industry
Accordingly, an introduction of the disease of the expert would be „devastating impact on the German pig industry“, Because Germany is after China and the USA at the top of the world's largest pork producers with currently 5.5 million tons carcass weight. According to the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, the virus was probably from Africa in 2007 came to Georgia and had spread from there via Russia to Lithuania.

Experts urge hunters to the utmost care and care
In view of the imminent danger, the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut warns, especially hunters, to take the utmost care and challenge them, „to report an increased occurrence of wild boar (wild boar) to the competent authority or to have the relevant samples (especially sweat, lymph nodes, spleen, lung) officially clarified.“ All porcine keepers should comply with the highest biosafety standards at the institute - including permanent veterinary supervision, limited movement of people and goods, in-house clothing, quarantine for acquisitions, and dedicated transportation management. If there are acute symptoms that can not be clearly attributed to another disease and the animals also do not respond to antibiotics, the Institute should also be forwarded samples to clarify a possible infection to the competent investigation institutions of the countries.

"The virus is a big battleship"
To get a clear picture of the spread of swine fever, is currently an EU Commission in Lithuania, which also includes an employee of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute. "The virus is a big battleship," said Blomes to the news agency „dpa“. Because the pathogen has various ways to infect its hosts - unfortunately, a suitable vaccine has not yet been developed and in the near future not in sight. Thus, the virus could spread from wild boar to wild boar to the west, but also, for example, from food waste with infected meat products left behind by tourists at rest or camping sites and then eaten by the animals. Moreover, since Lithuania in particular is a very popular destination among hunters, trophies and insufficiently cleaned hunting equipment could ensure that the virus quickly reaches other areas, the expert continued to tell dpa. (No)