African swine fever was confirmed in the Czech Republic Thursday, almost five years after the last case. An investigation at the State Veterinary Institute in Prague confirmed the infection in a dead wild piglet found in Jindřichovice pod Smrkek in the Frýdlant region in the Liberec region. The site of the discovery is located near the border with Poland, where the infection has been present for some time. 

The State Veterinary Administration is currently preparing emergency veterinary measures. A zone of infection will be defined around the location of the infected pig on an area of ​​approximately 200 km². In this area, hunting of wild pigs will be temporarily prohibited, the movement of the population in nature will be restricted and the monitoring of the occurrence of the disease in wild pigs will be intensified. The measures will also affect domestic pig breeders in the area and operators of slaughterhouses or processing plants. 

"All the measures taken are primarily aimed at preventing the further spread of the disease in the wild pig population and preventing the disease from reaching domestic pig farms," ​​said Petr Šatrán, director of the veterinary section of the SVS.

On June 26, 2017, the first occurrence of ASF in a population of wild pigs in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic was confirmed. Timely detection of the virus was made possible by comprehensive monitoring, within the framework of which since 2014, all found dead wild pigs have been investigated for ASF throughout the territory of the Czech Republic. Immediately after the confirmation of this dangerous disease, in accordance with the legislation of the Czech Republic and the EU, the SVS issued extraordinary veterinary measures aimed at preventing the spread of ASF in the wild pig population and, in particular, to prevent the introduction of ASF into domestic pig farms, its gradual suppression and final eradication.

The last positive cases of ASF were recorded on February 8, 2018, in a wild boar caught and on April 15, 2018.

Source: Czech Republic State Veterinary Administration, which is solely responsible for the information provided, and wholly owns the information. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.