3 new ASF outbreaks, all outside ASF hazard area (blue zone, part III area)

3 new outbreaks of ASF in pig herds have been confirmed in Poland, reaching the number of 89 outbreaks this year. Two affected farms are located in the western Wielkopolskie province, one in the buffer zone and one in free area.

The Chief Veterinary Officer informed about the designation of new outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) in pigs in the territory of the Republic of Poland. The outbreaks were confirmed in farms in 2 provinces Poland: Podkarpackie and Wielkopolskie.

pig behind a fence
Beeld: ©A.Galica
  • Outbreak  no.  87 was found on the farm where 22 pigs were kept, located in Koziarnia, Krzeszów commune, Niski district, Podkarpackie province.
  • Outbreak  no.  88 was found on the farm where 110 pigs were kept, located in the town of Łaszków, Blizanów commune, Kalisz district, Wielkopolskie province.
  • Outbreak  no.  89 was found on a farm where 1882 pigs were kept, located in Perzyny, Zbąszyń commune, Nowy Tomyśl district, Wielkopolskie province.
map of Poland with marked latest ASF cases
Beeld: ©A. Galica

The outbreak in Podkarpackie province was located in a restricted area (red zone, area defined in part II of the Annex to EC Decision 2014/709/EU). One outbreak in Wielkopolskie province was located in a protection area (yellow zone, area defined in part I of the Annex to EC Decision 2014/709/EU) and the second one in ASF free area.

Outbreak  no.  88 was found on a farm located outside the areas included in the annex to Commission Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU (free zone). The samples for laboratory tests were taken due to the death of the sow at the farm and the presence of symptoms indicative of ASF during the autopsy. On 14 September 2020, all 110 animals were culled and disposed of. Intensive activities are carried out on the farm by members of the team of experts for epizootic investigations by the Chief Veterinary Officer to determine the cause of the disease.

The free zone is an area, where no cases of ASF have been identified in wild boar before. There are not many pig farms in the area around outbreak no. 88. The number of pigs kept there is estimated at around 6,000 animals.

Two circles will be delineated around this outbreak. The first circle is an surveillance zone with a radius of 3 km from the disease outbreak, the second is a protection zone with a radius of 10 km from the disease outbreak and 7 km from the surveillance zone. All contact farms that have had any contact with the infected farm and have not met the biosecurity conditions will be subject to control. According to the recommendations of the Chief Veterinary Officer, pigs from these farms and those within 1 kilometer radius from the disease outbreak are to be culled.

Additionally, ASF restricted areas will be established in accordance with Commission Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU.

Outbreak  no.  89 was found on the big commercial farm, located in the same town as the outbreak no. 86, in a protected area (part I of the Annex to Decision 2014/709/EU). The farm was found to be in contact with the outbreak No. 86. On 14 September 2020, all the animals in the herd were culled  and disposed of. In addition, apart from the culling of pigs as part of the elimination of two ASF outbreaks in Perzyny, within a 1 km radius, pigs were killed in 4 other contact farms (75 animals).

Source: PL CVO, topagrar.pl