REUTERS
Veterinary experts have reported another case of a dangerous viral disease of animals, African swine fever (ASF), in Chernihiv region, according to the State Food Safety and Consumer Protection Service's press office.
As reported, the lab tests have confirmed three pigs had been infected at Svitanok farm near the town of Bobrovytsia. There are 400 pigs at the farm, according to preliminary data.
Measures to contain and prevent the spread of the ASF pathogen are underway.
As UNIAN reported earlier, 35 cases of ASF outbreaks had been reported in Ukraine since the beginning of 2017 against 91 in 2016. Given the current dynamics of the disease spread, the State Food Safety and Consumer Protection Service forecasts that 100-110 cases of the infection will be reported in 2017.
Read alsoUkraine sees number of pigs decline to record low in 12 yearsAccording to the head of the State Food Safety and Consumer Protection Service, Volodymyr Lapa, pig breeding losses due to the virus spread have amounted to about UAH 200 million since the first ASF outbreak was reported in Ukraine. If the current trend of the ASF spread continues, Ukraine will lose over 1.2 million pigs, or UAH 4 billion by 2020, while indirect losses will increase by UAH 5-7.5 billion.
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 transmitted mechanically (by vehicles during transfer 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.