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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 17th January 2022
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African Swine Fever confirmed in Italy
The Piedmont regional government has increased its surveillance of wild boars and hog farms.

Discovery is “another huge geographical leap for the virus", says National Pig Association.

A case of African Swine Fever (ASF) has been identified in a wild boar in Italy for the first time.
 
Following a string of ASF cases across Europe, officials confirmed the disease in a dead boar in the Italian region, Piedmont, located in the north of the country.

The Piedmont regional government has increased its surveillance of wild boars and hog farms, while city mayors have been asked to cease hunting.

Piedmont's health deputy, Luigi Icardi, explained: "As in the case of the (COVID-19) pandemic, the African swine fever emergency must also be addressed by appealing to everyone's collaboration. Piedmont health system is working alongside operators in the sector to prevent the circulation of the virus and protect swine farms." 

International animal health body, OIE, confirmed the positive test, adding that the strain is the ASF genotype 2 – the same strain currently circulating in Europe.

The National Pig Association said the discovery marks another ‘geographical leap for the virus’, as it has occurred much further south of recent cases in Germany, Poland and west of several confirmed in eastern Europe. 

It believes that Italy is now likely to face the suspension of pork to third-country markets, as is what happened to Germany after confirming ASF in wild boar in September 2000. 

“The German and wider EU sector is still feeling the impact of the ongoing ban by China,” said the NPA. “It will be interesting to see whether Italy looks to mirror the deal France has just secured with China, which ensures a regionalised approach to exports in the event of an ASF outbreak in France.”

ASF is a notifiable disease of pigs that has caused serious production and economic loss across the globe. While the risk of infection in the UK is currently considered to be low, the condition is highly contagious and can result in death for almost all pigs that are infected

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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.