News Pigs
'It is difficult to stop the spread of AVP to the west'
A combination of factors makes the fight against African swine fever (ASF) difficult on European territory. It will be difficult to stop further spread to the west. So says Zygmunt Pejsak, one of Europe's most experienced professors in the fight against ASF.
He tells this in an interview with news site pig333.com. For many years Pejsak was head of the Polish Veterinary Institute that deals with the fight against animal diseases. He indicates that although the spread is quite slow, it will eventually expand further west. He therefore considers it likely that countries such as France and Luxembourg will not be able to keep the virus at bay in the long term.
Addition of factors makes approach difficult
The current outbreaks of ASF in Europe seem more difficult to contain than with the earlier European introduction to ASF in the 60s. It is a sum of factors that makes combating this time more difficult.
Pejsak points to, among other things, the considerably higher number of wild boars in Europe than then. Large-scale arable areas also make it possible for pigs to get enough food almost year round, which reduces mortality. Moreover, humans have become less of a enemy because hunters hunt the animals less due to lack of time. Furthermore, the current variant of the virus, which first appeared in Georgia in 2007, is more contagious and sickening than the variant at the time.
Virus races at a few kilometers per month
According to Pejsak, calculations show that under normal circumstances the virus travels three to five kilometers per month. According to him, major leaps in the virus are motivated by human actions.
In order to stop the spread, Pejsak initially mentions three things that need to be worked on. First of all, he mentions the importance of a smaller population of wild boars across Europe. In addition, strict biosecurity measures must be observed at all pig farms in Europe. Although this often happens on large farms, it is also important that small pig farms take all possible measures. Thirdly, 'backyard farming' should be banned. According to him, keeping animals as a hobby happens without pig farmers having any knowledge of biosecurity. He characterizes this type of location as a 'real risk'.
Steve Wissink
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