April 10, 2012

Russia accuses Georgia for swine flu outbreak

A recent outbreak of African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV), which affects only animals and not humans, in the country of Georgia was being blamed by a top Russian official Monday (Apr 9).

Russia's chief sanitary doctor Gennady Onishchenko said the outbreak was a result of "economic subversion" by Georgia.

"ASFV came to us from Georgia. It first appeared in Ossetia, and then spread to the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories. (The outbreak) shows signs of being an artificially created situation. This is an act of economic subversion that the Krasnodar Territory has been unable to tackle for three years," he said.

African swine fever -- or Montgomery's disease -- was first reported in Africa in 1903. Both domestic and wild animals can become infected when they come into contact with sick animals. The virus does not affect humans.

Since 2007, swine fever has been detected in over 250 locations in 24 Russian regions. More than 440,000 pigs have since been culled to prevent the disease from spreading.