Russia to cull 12,000 pigs over swine fever

Animal health authorities in southern Russia's Stavropol Territory may slaughter 12,000 pigs due to swine fever outbreak.

Local veterinary chief Vasily Serdyukov said over 8,000 pigs have already been culled.

Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, Rosselkhoznazdor said the disease spread has already killed 112 out of 460 fatteners at the collective farm named after Lenin, in the Sovetsky District, the Stavropolsky Krai, in the period of October 15-22, 2008.

Urgent measures were immediately recommended after results of clinical, anatomico-pathological and epizootological examination tests determined that African swine fever virus was the cause of the pigs' deaths.