Slovakia: new ASF outbreaks in pig farms

ASF was first confirmed in Slovakia on 25 July 2019 in the backyard farm in the village of Strážne, okr. Trebišov. To date, Slovak veterinary Service have registered 251 cases of ASF in wild boars and 20 outbreaks in pigs in Slovakia, out of which 9 in 2020.

The infection has so far been recorded in six districts in Slovakia (Trebišov, Michalovce, Košice-okolie, Košice-mesto, Rožňava, Rimavská Sobota). In 2020, 3 commercial farms were infected and 6 backyard farms. In all outbreaks disease eradications procedures are followed and the European Commission, the Member States of the European Union and the International Office of Epizootics (OIE) based in Paris are informed.

ASF regionalisation was established in accordance with Commission Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU as latest amended by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1211 of 20 August 2020. Blue colour represents buffer zone (part I area), pink – risk zone (part II area) and red – infected zone (part III area).

ASF zones in Slovakia
Beeld: ©A.Galica

In case of any change of behavior of pigs, disturbance of their health condition or in the case of the death of a domestic pig, the owner of the animal is obliged to immediately report this death to the relevant Regional Veterinary and Food Administration and to the relevant private veterinarian.

Due to the increasing risk of introducing the disease into small pigs, the Ministry of Agriculture recommends to small farmers in the districts Rimavská Sobota, Rožňava, Košice - surroundings, Košice - city, Trebišov, Michalovce, Humenné, Veľký Krtíš and Lučenec, temporary abolition of domestic pig breeding (slaughter of pigs) and does not recommend to establish new farms until further notice.

Pig breeders in Slovakia are obliged to have the farm registered even if they breed only 1 pig - valid for the whole territory of the Slovak Republic.

Source: Slovak Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development