A case of African swine fever has been confirmed on a small farm in eastern Croatia, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries confirmed Sunday.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said the positive case had been detected by the Croatian Veterinary Institute on a farm in the village of Ivanovo in the Villevo region, in the east of the country. An emergency response programme has been launched. The 62 susceptible animals on the farm will be culled and rendered harmless to prevent further spread of the virus.
The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries said veterinary authorities were conducting epidemiological investigations to trace the source of the virus and the potential chain of contacts, and urged all pig farmers in the region to strictly follow epidemic prevention measures, report suspected outbreaks immediately.
African swine fever (ASF) is an acute, hemorrhagic and severe infectious disease caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV) . It is characterized by high fever, severe bleeding in internal organs and high mortality. African swine fever is not a zoonosis and the related virus does not infect humans, but items contaminated with the virus may facilitate transmission.