August 12, 2014

Poland has identified a second case of African swine fever, the local chief veterinary office reported.

The infected pig, already put down by veterinarians, was found in the county of Grodek in northeastern Poland, near the border with Belarus. This is the same area where the first case of swine in Poland was found during July 2014 and where 12 cases have been identified in wild boars this year.

The cases among wild boars led Russia and China to restrict imports of Polish pork, causing domestic pork prices to drop. The ban is currently a moot point, since Russia has banned most food imports from the EU, including pork, in retaliation for Western sanction over the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

"The disease area is around 13 kilometres north of the farm where the last ASF case was identified," a statement from the chief veterinary said. "The whole farm has been cleaned and disinfected."

One pig was found with the disease at the farm. The first case was identified in another farm with five pigs. Two have died and the remaining three were put down, with the chief veterinary adding that about 200 farm pigs, from the danger zone of 7 km, may have to be put down.

According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, no effective vaccine against ASF exists, but the disease poses no danger to human health.

Earlier in August, Ukraine introduced restrictions on the import of pigs and pork products from nine countries, including Poland. Last month, Lithuanian authorities ordered the slaughter of 19,400 pigs at one of the country's largest farms as an outbreak of ASF in the region spread.