REUTERS
In total, 163 African swine fever cases were registered in Ukraine in 2017.
Ukraine's State Food Safety and Consumer Protection Service says veterinary experts have reported more African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks in Zakarpattia, Mykolaiv, Donetsk and Kyiv regions.
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In particular, four ASF cases were registered in the said region for the reporting period from November 22 to November 28, according to the agency's press service.
Lab tests conducted by experts confirmed the animals there had been infected.
It is noted that measures are being taken to contain and prevent the spread of the ASF pathogen.
As UNIAN reported earlier, 60 ASF cases were reported in Ukraine in seven months of 2018.
In total, 163 ASF outbreaks were registered in Ukraine in 2017.
According to the forecast by the State Food Safety and Consumer Protection Service published in January 2017, if the current trend of the ASF spread continued, Ukraine would lose over 1.2 million pigs worth a total of UAH 4 billion (about US$142 million) by 2020, while indirect losses would increase by an estimated amount of between UAH 5 billion-UAH 7.5 billion (US$177 million-US$265 million).
UNIAN memo. African swine fever (Montgomery disease) is a contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs. The disease bears no threat to humans. The virus is transmitted by direct contact between sick and healthy animals, through pork products, and also transmitted by ticks and mechanically (by vehicles during transportation of people and animals). There are no vaccines against the virus. Almost all infected pigs die. The virus is destroyed by heating to extremely high temperatures.