July 14, 2009

Lithuania has banned live pig exports after vets confirmed an outbreak of swine fever in a pig farm there following a tip-off from Denmark, a senior official said Monday (Jul 13).

 

"The case was detected in a pig farm belonging to a Danish firm in the north of Lithuania," Kazimieras Lukauskas, head of the national food safety and veterinary service, told AFP.

 

The farm had tipped off the Danish authorities because the pigs had been imported from Denmark, and it was Denmark who alerted Lithuania, said Lukauskas.

 

Lukauskas' office has asked local prosecutors to investigate whether the farm intentionally failed to notify Lithuanian officials.

 

Experts had identified the Type 2.1 strain of swine fever, he said.

 

"That strain has not been detected in Europe for the past nine years," said Lukauskas.

 

Swine fever is harmless to humans but kills pigs, and can decimate the livestock sector.

 

All 445 pigs at the farm have been slaughtered in an effort to stop the disease spreading, and authorities have quarantined the site.

 

Veterinary authorities are carrying out tests at other farms around the country, and have banned pig exports for at least two weeks.

 

"We want to protect the countries to which we export, and be sure there's no risk whatsoever," said Lukauskas.

 

It is the first swine fever outbreak for 17 years in Lithuania, which is home to a flourishing livestock sector.