Germany ramps up prevention against ASF
German authorities have increased the prevention measure against African swine fever after several wild boars have been found dead in Poland, just 40 kilometers away from the border. Around ten European Union countries are currently affected, particularly bad outbreaks being recorded in Bulgaria, Romania and Poland.
Germany is issuing leaflets, posters and social media messages in several languages urging people not to throw away waste food in border areas, Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner said. Germany's information campaign will be targeted at groups including travellers, truck drivers, farmers, hunters, harvest helpers and the armed forces. "The latest cases show that the human factor plays a not inconsiderable role in the spread of the disease, for example in the incorrect disposal of waste food," stated the minister, quoted by Reuters.
She also mentioned that restriction of movement and relax hunting restrictions to cut wild boar numbers will be set if the disease will appear in Germany. Currently, the country is the largest producer of pork in the EU and the exports to China have increased by 43% in the last 6 months due to a shortage of pork in the Chinese market. China, Vietnam, the Philippines, South Korea and several other Asian countries have been aswell affected by the disease.
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