October 31, 2006

Romania to wipe out swine fever by 2007

Romania will resume its swine fever eradication plan and emergency vaccination programme Dec 1 to comply with the European Union animal sector requirements, news agency Mediafax reported Monday (Oct 30), citing Marian Avram, head of Romania's veterinary authority.

The swine fever eradication plan is to be completed by Dec 2007, Avram said.

The European Commission has approved the veterinary authority's swine fever eradication plan and will give Romania half of the EUR45.3 million needed to vaccinate pigs and eradicate the disease.

The EU placed an import ban on live pigs and pork from Romania on Jan 1, 2003 due to swine fever outbreaks and will maintain it until the swine fever eradication plan is finalised.

European veterinary experts will assess Romania's progress in swine fever eradication, nine months into the vaccination period.

Romania, which is to join the EU in 2007, reported 124 active swine fever outbreaks at the end of September, according to data released by the veterinary authority.