MOSCOW, August 16 (Itar-Tass) - Russia’s Rosselkhoznadzor agricultural watchdog has reported new outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) in the Pskov and Tambov regions.
Officials said the regional veterinary laboratory had found genetic material of the African swine fever virus in samples taken from a young pig from a private household in the settlement of Tserkovishche, Pskov region, housing 89 animals.
The virus was also confirmed after probes had been taken from a dead pig in a private household in the settlement of Karlovka,Tambov region, where 116 pigs were kept, the watchdog said.
African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious disease of pigs caused by a virus, The first outbreak was registered in South Africa in 1903. African swine fever can be spread through direct contact with infected pigs, faeces or body fluids, and indirect contact via fomites such as equipment, vehicles or people who work with pigs between farms with ineffective biosecurity. It can also be caused by pigs eating infected pig meat or meat products, or biological vectors as in ticks of the species Ornithodoros.
There is no vaccine against African swine fever, which can be stopped from spreading only through culling infected animals.