January 18, 2007

Bulgaria reports swine fever outbreaks 

Bulgarian veterinary health authorities said Wednesday they had detected an outbreak of swine fever in the northeast of the country.

Authorities are preparing to cull 164 pigs. Analysis confirmed that the disease caused the death of four pigs at a farm in the town of Smyadovo on Tuesday (Jan 16), and ten more animals were also said to be infected.

Veterinary services would slaughter all the farm's pigs, Shumen veterinary chief Hristo Hristov told BTA news agency.

Animal health authorities reported three swine fever outbreaks last year in south-eastern Bulgaria, and slaughtered over 200 animals.

In January 2006, some 660 outbreaks of swine fever were detected in 345 locations around Romania despite a large-scale vaccination campaign launched months before.

Bulgaria and neighbouring Romania are currently banned from exporting live pigs, pork and other pig products to EU countries. Russian authorities are also concerned about EU meat products transiting through the two countries to Russia.