News African swine fever
AVP is spreading rapidly in Dominican Republic
The mood surrounding African swine fever (ASF) is rising worldwide. The virus was only recently discovered in the Dominican Republic, but it is spreading rapidly. The infection numbers are also increasing in Poland and Germany.
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In July, ASF was diagnosed in 2 provinces in the Dominican Republic. In the United States, the threat was taken very seriously given the close proximity to the Dominican Republic. The threat has not diminished and no fewer than 11 of the 32 provinces have now been infected with the deadly pig virus. Surrounding areas are seriously concerned.
Poland
ASF has been prevalent in the Polish pig and wild boar herd for some time. The virus continues to spread here too. At the end of July, three more outbreaks were reported among pig farmers. This means that the number of infections in the pig herd has now risen to 3 in 39. Last year there were 2021 outbreaks at pig farms around this time of year, so the virus is spreading faster this year. The Polish government last week drew up a new aid package to support pig farms.
The aid package, totaling almost €44 million, is available, among other things, to reduce the costs of biosecurity measures and preventive measures. For example, half of the amount is reserved for the purchase of disinfection material, protective clothing and security for stables. An amount is also reserved for compensation payments for financial losses in the pig sector caused by ASF.
Germany
The deadly pig virus was discovered much later in Germany, but has also led to many infections there. According to a recent update from the Friedrich Loeffler Institute on August 6, a total of 1.808 infections have now been detected among wild boars and 3 infections have been detected in the pig herd.
