While more than 600 wild boar infected with African swine fever (ASF) have been found in Alessandria, Italy, since 2022, the province has now recorded its first outbreak involving domestic pigs. Alessandria is part of the Piedmont region in the northwest of Italy.
Four pigs were involved in the outbreak, according to the national ASF bulletin. It brings to nine the number of provinces with confirmed ASF cases in domestic swine.
During the month of August, first cases of ASF in this population were reported in two other provinces of Piedmont (Novara and Vercelli).
According to the same source, the Mediterranean island of Sardinia was declared free of ASF in September. First cases of the disease were confirmed there in 1978. After the introduction of a new approach to disease control in October 2023, it has now been demonstrated that the virus is finally absent from the island’s wild boar population.
New ASF cases in domestic pigs in 4 European countries
During the period of October 24-30, four other European nations reported new ASF cases in farmed or backyard swine.
These were Bosnia-Herzegovina, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine, according to the latest update of the Animal Disease Information System from the European Commission (EC; dated October 30). The database monitors listed animal diseases in European Union member states and adjacent countries.
An additional 11 outbreaks in Serbia brings the national total to 277, and it remains the European country worst affected by ASF outbreaks so far this year. Next come Romania (now with a total in 2024 to date of 174), Ukraine (64) and Poland (44).
As of October 30, 15 countries monitored by the EC had registered a total of 673 outbreaks in this population in 2024.
During the whole of last year, 16 of the region’s states recorded a total of 4,513 ASF outbreaks in this category with the EC.
More wild boar outbreaks in 10 European states
Further cases of ASF in the wild population were registered with the EC’s System over the latest reporting week (October 24-30).
Confirming the most new outbreaks out of the total 201 reported were Bulgaria (77), Poland (43), Germany (41) and Latvia (16). Also registering new — but fewer — additional outbreaks were Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia.
So far this year, 21 countries in the region have logged with the EC a total of 5,500 ASF outbreaks in their respective wild boar populations.
Worst affected wild boar populations to date in 2024 have been those of Poland (1,540 outbreaks), Italy (1,149), Latvia (709), Germany (591), and Lithuania (465).
For comparison, more than 7,900 outbreaks in this category occurred in 20 countries in the region during the whole of last year.
Another farm outbreak in South Korea
Latest to test positive for the ASF virus were some of the approximately 2,500 pigs at a farm in the northeastern province of Gangwon. This is according to the South Korean agriculture ministry on November 4.
Following the country's usual procedure after a confirmed ASF outbreak in South Korea, a 24-hour standstill was imposed in the outbreak district (Honcheong) and eight adjacent counties. The transport ban applies to animals and feed, and allows time for additional investigations and disinfection.
This latest outbreak brings the total among the nation's swine population so far this year to 10, and to 48 since its first case in 2019.
Over the past week, the number of wild boar testing positive for the ASF virus over the same period has risen by four to 4,171, reports Pig & People. Three of the latest cases were found in North Chungcheong in central South Korea, and one in the northwestern province of Gyeonggi.
ASF developments elsewhere in Asian swine
In Indonesia, first ASF cases of 2024 have been detected in North Sulawesi, according to the national animal health information system.
So far this year, outbreaks have affected 6,201 cases at 358 locations. North Sulawesi is the 11th province to confirm ASF cases this year.
In the northeast Indian state of Mizoram, the number of pigs that have died or been culled due to ASF has now surpassed 38,000. This covers the period since the first cases of the year in February, according to Social News on October 28. Over those nine months, cases have been reported in six of the state’s 11 districts.
In Vietnam’s North Central Coast region, the province of Nghe An has been hard hit by ASF recently, reported Lao Dong Tre on November 2. Over the previous 12 days, more than 50 outbreaks had occurred in 17 different districts/cities.
Taiwan has been recognized as an ASF-free zone, according to Focus Taiwan
According to this source, the agriculture ministry reported that the World Organisation for Animal Health has now recognized the territory’s self-declared freedom from ASF. This means that Taiwan has joined Japan as the only nations in the East Asia region to be free of this devastating disease. The declaration was submitted by Taiwan in July.
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