African Swine Fever: First outbreak in Bulgaria’s Vidin confirmed
The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BNSA) said on July 29 that it had confirmed a new outbreak of African Swine Fever in domestic pigs in the Vidin district, at a private holding in the Novi Put area of the city of Vidin.
This is the first outbreak of the disease in Vidin, and the 23rd across Bulgaria.
There are only unregistered private farms in that area of Vidin. Within the three kilometre protection zone, there is an industrial pig farm, which has been placed under veterinary supervision to prevent the disease reaching it, the agency said.
Measures for the control and eradication of the disease have been taken in accordance with the rules of European and Bulgarian legislation and the emergency action plan for control of African Swine Fever.
Humane culling of pigs at the affected site would begin immediately, and of pigs within the protection zone whose health status and origin are unclear, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency said.
Intensified clinic and laboratory checks are being carried out in the three km zone and in the 10km monitoring zone.
Domestic pigs at private farms in the at-risk neighbourhoods in the city of Vidin and the village of Novoseltsi will be culled, the agency said. It called on people with backyard pigs to cull them.
“Prevention is currently the most important in terms of managing the situation. African Swine Fever is a dangerous and rapidly spreading disease. Prevention requires accountability, strict application of biosecurity rules and consistency of measures,” the Food Safety Agency said.
(Photo: Rictor Norton and David Allen)
