September 4, 2007

African swine fever threatens to spread to Black Sea regions

Russia's federal food quality watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said Monday outbreaks of african swine fever had been confirmed in Armenia and Georgia, and said the disease threatened to spread to Black Sea region countries as farmers dumped infected carcasses into rivers. 

Rosselkhoznadzor said African Swine Fever outbreaks had been confirmed in six locations in Armenia, with 610 pigs dying of the disease and another 343 animals, which had come into contact with the diseased ones, destroyed.

Carcasses of diseased animals had been found in the Kodor River in Abkhazia, having been thrown into the river by farmers in neighbouring Georgia, Rosselkhoznadzor said.

The agency warned the infected carcasses had floated down the Kodor river and were now to be found in the Black Sea, where they could spread the disease to neighbouring countries.

The probability of infection in Russia's Krasnodar region was extremely high, with a further possibility of the disease spreading on to Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

Rosselkhoznadzor appealed to the Georgian authorities to ensure the practice would be stopped.