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Bulgaria: alert for African swine fever

Seventeen outbreaks of the disease have been detected so far

18 July, 15:01
(ANSA) - SOFIA, 18 JULY - Bulgaria is on alert due to the increasing number of cases of African swine fever, a disease which is always lethal for pigs and wild boar, but which cannot be transmitted to humans. Two new outbreaks in the northern regions of Vratsa and Targovishte were recorded yesterday, bringing to 17 the total number of outbreaks across the country.

The animals involved are mostly unregistered and reared in private courtyards.

The owners of large pig farms said they were very concerned that the disease could be transmitted to their farms and urged the authorities to intervene as soon as possible.

Teams of experts are inspecting a three-km perimeter area around the various outbreaks and euthanizing the infected pigs.

The authorities in Sofia have decided to deploy the military police and the gendarmerie up to 10 kilometers around the outbreaks of African swine fever, and the controls of meat transport at the border crossing points will be strengthened. Agriculture Minister Dessilava Taneva said that the incentives for hunting wild boar that also transmit the disease were increased three times, up to 150 levs (about 75 euros) for each slaughter. Damyan Iliev, executive director of Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (Babh), said that some pigs coming from the affected areas happened to be found in car trunks and, therefore, stronger control measures will be taken jointly with the traffic police. (ANSA).

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