February 7, 2011

Southern Armenia reports African Swine Fever

Armenian agricultural officials have confirmed reports that a pig in a rural community in southern province of Syunik died of a devastating disease known as African Swine Fever (ASF).

Gevork Tovmasian, deputy chief of agriculture ministry's veterinary and food safety inspection, said that the single case was discovered in the village of Mutk. He said the ministry has ordered swift preventive measures to ward off spread of the disease. A partial ban on pig movements and marketing will be enforced. The pig owner was told to burn the carcasses of dead pig.

In 2010 the disease killed over 200 pigs in Armenia and several hundreds were culled by their owners to prevent the disease's spread.

The outbreak of ASF was first reported in the South Caucasus in Georgia in early June, 2007; more than 30,000 pigs died and a total of 22,000 pigs were culled by mid-June. Then it penetrated into Armenia's northern regions bordering Georgia.

ASF, which is highly contagious among pigs, results in high pig mortality, as there is no vaccine against the disease. It does not, however, affect humans.