Swine fever outbreak grows in Bulgaria

According to the OIE a cull of 285 pigs was administered by veterinary authorities. Out of these pigs 18 were identified to have died from the disease. Despite the application of a whole series of desperate control measures, the outbreak continues.

The disease was traced back to the village of Zlatar, where it is thought the animals at two farms contracted the virus by drinking infected water. Clinical tests give rise to the suspicion that this outbreak follows an earlier one in the region that hadn't been fully eradicated. The outbreak is yet a further blow to market confidence. In a statement, the agricultural minister confirmed the worries in a later press release, saying: "The Sofia laboratory confirmed classical swine fever. It is a secondary outbreak connected with an earlier one in the region a month ago,".

Since its entry into the European Union last year, Bulgaria has culled over 600 pigs in an attempt to eradicate the disease completely. Their aim is to convince Brussels to lift a ban placed on its live pigs and pork exports by September. Russia threatens to follow suit, banning imports of meat products from the EU citing mounting concerns over animal health in both Bulgaria and Romania.

ThePigSite News Desk

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