New African swine fever reports in central, eastern Europe

According to reports received and published over the past month by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) from the respective country’s veterinary authority, new cases of African swine fever in domestic pigs have been reported in Russia and Ukraine.
In Russia, 3 backyard herds have been hit by confirmed outbreaks of the disease – one each in the oblasts of Saratov, Bryansk and Moscow – resulting in the death or destruction of a total of 11 animals. The disease has also been confirmed in 11 wild boar in the oblasts of Ryazan, Krasnodar and Kaluga. African swine fever was first reported in the country in January 2014.
Four new outbreaks reported in Ukraine were all in small “village herds.” One was in the region of Chernigov in the north of the country, bordering Russia, while the others were in the southern regions of Nikolaev and Odessa. In total, 34 animals died or have been destroyed after confirmation of the disease.
Worst affected in terms of new outbreaks was Estonia, with 98 new outbreaks of African swine fever reported during November, affecting 148 wild boar. The cases were widespread across the east and central parts of the country, but no domestic pigs were involved. First reported in the country in September 2014, these outbreaks occurred mainly during October.
Latvia has also reported outbreaks only in wild boar and in areas known to be infected with African swine fever. Fifty-five outbreaks were recorded in November, with 76 animals affected. After classical swine fever was first reported in the country in October 2012, a program of wild boar vaccination was put in place in the affected area and there have been no positive cases of that disease since March 2015.
Thirteen wild boar in Lithuania have tested positive for African swine fever, according to reports received by the OIE during November. The animals were found or shot dead in 5 different regions, all affected by previous outbreaks.
Poland has reported just one wild boar that tested positive for the virus during November. It was found dead in a forest in the Podlaskie region the previous month.