Stock infected in Italy

For the first time, domestic pigs have been infected with the African swine fever (ASF) virus on the Italian mainland; previous cases were confined to the island of Sardinia. According to the health councillor of the Lazio region, Alessio D'Amato, last Friday, the outbreak has affected a micro holding of eight pigs near Rome, where two pigs have been infected. In the region, wild pigs had tested positive for the virus for the first time in early May in the Insugherata Nature Park, and their number has since risen to two dozen. The affected farm was within the red infection zone. Coldiretti, the farmers' association with the largest membership, warned that 50,000 pigs in Lazio were now acutely threatened by the animal disease. The association called for the immediate introduction of support measures for the pig sector to stabilize breeders' incomes. It also renewed calls for a rapid reduction in the wild boar population to prevent transmission by these animals. The Italian pork industry also faces threats from the spread of the animal disease, as supply chains and exports could be damaged. Meanwhile, the reason for the ASF outbreak at a farm in Forchheim, Baden-Württemberg, remains open. According to the district of Emmendingen, all tested feed samples from the farm were negative. In addition, an introduction by infected wild boars is still considered as good as excluded. During the intensive search of the surrounding area, no ASP wild boars were found.

However, in the state forest in Teningen, which is somewhat further away in the district, a suspicion of Aujeszky's disease (AK) in a wild boar shot during hunting has now been confirmed. The AK is considered to be eradicated after a comprehensive vaccination of the domestic pig population since 2003; however, antibodies against the virus are detected in wild boars from time to time.