African swine fever is getting closer to Hungary’s southern border

By: STA Date: 2023. 10. 25. 09:00

In the middle of October, the presence of African swine fever (ASP) in domestic pig herds was confirmed in the Eszék-Baranya county in Croatia, bordering Hungary. Since the start of the Croatian epidemic in the summer, the number of outbreaks has exceeded one thousand, and the number of infected animals has exceeded twenty thousand.

(Photo: Pixabay)

The National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) calls the attention of those traveling to Croatia to a careful and responsible attitude, and at the same time asks pig farmers in the southern counties to comply with special epidemic prevention measures. ASP was also published in Croatia in the summer of 2023. The epidemic initially affected the areas of Croatia bordering Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and then spread explosively. In mid-October, the virus was also identified in the Eszék-Baranya county in Croatia, which borders our country. The Hungarian animal health authority continues to maintain strengthened epidemic prevention measures in order to minimize the risk of introducing the disease. Although the summer’s lively tourist traffic has decreased, increased caution is still essential for the Hungarian population visiting Croatia.

Nébih asks affected travelers not to bring home meat products of pig origin, and also to make sure that food waste is only disposed of in properly designed waste collectors protected from wild animals.

Due to the worsening epidemic situation, it is important that pig farmers in the medium-risk southern counties comply with the special epidemic prevention measures The Good Pig Husbandry Practices, which can be downloaded from the Nébih website.

It is important to know that the appearance of African swine fever causes extremely serious economic damage

An outstanding animal health success of recent years is that the Hungarian domestic pig population has been protected from the disease, and the rate of spread of the virus in the wild population has slowed down to a great extent. Travelers, hikers, and those traveling to visit relatives all serve to protect Hungary’s livestock by following the authority’s recommendations.

Nébih

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