July 17, 2008

The African swine fever virus (ASFV) has visited Russia's North Caucasus republic of North Ossetia, killing a total of 275 pigs in the process.

The ASFV killed 58 pigs, bringing the total number of deaths to 275, within 24 hours, according to a regional emergencies service on Wednesday (July 17, 2008).

The ASFV is a highly contagious virus that causes deadly hemorrhagic disease in pigs. The virus is able to survive for up to 15 weeks in pork and up to six months in processed meat.

In late last year, ASFV was found in Georgia and Armenia. The chief vet of FAO warned at the time that if ASFV spread to nearby countries, the consequences could be serious. The virus then entered Russia for the first time in December 2007 from Georgia, with the disease detected in wild boar in the constituent republic of Chechnya.