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ASF virus moves closer to German border
Two cases of ASF have been confirmed around 40km from the German border.


Risk to UK pig population remains at medium

Further African swine fever (ASF) cases have been identified in West Poland, some 40km away from the border of Germany.

According to the National Pig Association (NPA), nine new cases have been discovered in wild boar, following the initial discovery of 20 cases in the Lubuskie Province in November.

The NPA also reports cases in the city and surrounding districts of Zielona Gora, Sulechow, Swidnica, and Nowogrod Bobrzanski. Two cases have been confirmed in the Nowa Sol commune in the Nowosolski poviat, around 40km from the German border.


In November, the State Veterinary Institute in Pulaway confirmed two cases of the disease in the Lubuskie Province, around 75km away from the German border.

Since then, intensive searches of the region have identified 20 cases in wild boar in the same region, as well as one case in the Dolnośląskie Province.
 Polish authorities placed a 5km fence around the infected area, followed by a larger second fence in a bid to contain the virus.

The new cases are of particular concern as the neighbouring province, Wielkopolskie, contains 30 per cent of the total population of pigs in Poland.

The president of the Lubuska Chamber of Agriculture, Stanislaw Mysliwiec, said that he hoped the outbreak could be contained to the infected area and called on local pig producers to comply with biosecurity measures to protect the domestic pig herd.

German pig farmer representative, ISN, said the industry was ‘worried and called on producers ‘not to panic and to continue to implement biosecurity measures’.

In its latest ASF update, the UK Animal and Plant Health Agency said the risk for the entry of contaminated or infected products into the UK remains at medium. It added that border checks on passengers are ‘paramount’ and travellers are being strongly advised to avoid bringing any pork products back from affected areas of Europe.
 
The APHA adds: “The risk of exposure to the pig population in the UK is still highly dependent on the level of biosecurity on individual pig premises but is still considered to be low. We will continue to monitor the situation”.

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise 100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.