More ASF outbreaks reported in Poland
Poland has more ASF infected farms than a year ago and the situation looks worrying for the pig industry. 66 farms have been hit by the virus this year and the number is expected to grow. Most of those are backyard farms but the risk of infection for industrial farms is rising. According to official data, the majority of the farms infected are located in Eastern Poland (60) and the rest are from the provinces bordering Germany. Poland is fighting ASF since 2014, with a total number of 303 farms infected, with 2018 being the worst year so far, 95 outbreaks reported.
Currently, Polish pig producers can benefit from a subsidy of up to €22,350 per farm to enhance biosecurity. Nevertheless, wild boars in Western Poland continues to scare neighbouring Germany, who intend to deploy sniffer dogs able to specifically detect wild boar carcasses along its borders in order to prevent the virus spreading in the country. Recently, FAO joined forces with the MammalNet project team, in adding new features to their free mobile application, iMammalia, to report wild boar carcasses in the Balkans and beyond. African swine fever (ASF) can spread through several routes, including via the natural movement of wild boar. The virus is equally lethal to pigs and wild boar.
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