October 23, 2009
New African swine fever outbreak in Northern Russia
A new outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) has been reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) by the Russian veterinary authorities in the Northwest Federal district.
The ASF was confirmed at October 14, at the Mga settlement, in Kirovsky, in the Leningradskaya Oblast, in the region of St. Petersburg. In a herd of 14, eight animals were found infected, of which seven died of the disease. The rest of the animals were culled.
Shooting and investigation of wild boars were also carried out within Kirovsky district. The result of the pathological material investigation was negative.
It is the first time that the OIE receives a report of ASF in Northern Russia.
Earlier outbreaks of ASF were confirmed in southern Russia this fall, relatively close to the Caucasian republic of Georgia. In Chechnya, a wild boar with ASF was culled last week; and in the village of Yashalta (South Russia) two animals were found suffering from ASF. In addition, one animal was found carrying ASF in a village in Rostovskaya Oblast in the South of Russia.
In this oblast, the first ASF outbreak of this fall was also notified, in the end of September on a 2,791 pig farm, where five animals were found infected.
Two years ago, a range of outbreaks were reported in the Caucasian area.
