The death of pigs in commercial farming in the cadastre of Lovča village (Žiar nad Hronom district), where an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) was confirmed, continues. This was stated for TASR by the Central Director of the State Veterinary and Food Administration (ŠVPS) of the Slovak Republic, Martin Chudý, stating that the source of the infection is the subject of an investigation and all animals in the facility will be killed.
Chudy explained that the disease is progressing in breeding and animals that do not yet show clinical signs of the disease, or they did not die, they are in the incubation stage of the disease. “Since yesterday, more than 30 more pigs, mainly in the age category of around 100 kilograms, have died. All those who have died so far have been harmlessly disposed of in the veterinary sanitation institute,” he pointed out.
According to him, the origin of the disease and how it was imported into breeding is the subject of the so-called epizootological investigation. According to Chudy, all aspects that may pose a risk of infection are taken into account. It can be direct through animals or indirect introduction through clothing, footwear, vehicles, feed and the like.
Due to the fact that there is a risk of endangering the farms in the vicinity, three- and ten-kilometer zones were marked out in accordance with the applicable legislation, within which measures were ordered. In the farm itself, according to Chudy, measures were ordered regarding the eradication of the outbreak, the closure of the outbreak, the ban on moving animals, as well as the harmless removal of the bodies of both dead and depopulated animals and the subsequent disinfection of the entire farm area.
Chudý confirmed that in terms of the current legislation, according to which AMO falls under category A diseases of the Animal Health Code, the entire breed will be culled as soon as possible. He pointed out that there is no vaccine that can be used to prevent infection.
According to the legislation, the restoration of breeding is only possible after certain steps. “It is preceded by a system of preliminary and final focal disinfection, after seven days of final disinfection, the disinfection process is repeated once more, then there is a minimum monitoring period of 15 days and then possible storage of the so-called test animals,” explained Chudý. He added that when everything is fine for at least 15 days in the test animals and after a negative laboratory test at the AMO, the measures will be canceled and breeding can be fully resumed.
