Romania in alert state: 440 outbreaks of African Swine Fever in 7 counties
Romania is in an alert state, both internally and at the border area with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, so as to manage the epidemiological evolution of the African Swine Fever (ASF) but also to prevent the occurrence of new outbreaks, given that currently there are 440 outbreaks in seven counties, the President of the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA), Geronimo Branescu told Agerpres.
He specified that as many as 440 outbreaks are at various evolution stages, of which 438 in the population's rural households and two in commercial farms in Tulcea county, in the first farm the culling of 45,000 pigs being almost completed.
"Unfortunately, ASF has been again confirmed in a new farm in Tulcea, holding 17,000 pigs, that are already in the process of culling. As many as 7 counties are affected, namely Satu Mare, where the first ASF outbreak started, where there are 5 outbreaks in rural households and one case in wild boars. Regarding domestic pigs there are 440 outbreaks, while for wild boars, there are 16 cases on Romania's territory. It is worth mentioning that by ASF outbreak we understand the evolution of the disease in a farm that has one or more pigs which have been confirmed to carry ASF," the ANSVSA President explained.
"We have submitted a request to the European Commission for additional funds to those already granted to Romania, by co-financing programmes, amounts that are due to be used for the payment of compensations to the owners of animals affected by ASF, depending on the epidemiological context of Romania, that we cannot yet estimate. We have obtained the agreement de facto and we need to communicate for settlement the exact figures that result from the actions and the compensations. We have amounts allocated from the state budget in this respect, but they were exceeded, that is why we submitted the necessary request to the Public Finance Ministry and the European Commission," the head of ANSVSA added.
ASF outbreaks have been active in Romania since 2017, but their number has soared in June this year, after the first suspicions of ASF were confirmed in localities on Danube's Chilia Branch. In June, veterinarians sacrificed 1,715 pigs in private households in several localities in the Delta region of Tulcea County and started the euthanasia of 44,580 pigs in a commercial farm near Tulcea Municipality.
Agerpres – July 2018
