The second outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) was recorded in Lithuania this year – it was detected in a small farm in Plungė district, where five pigs were kept for their own needs, the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) reported.
The SFVS states that the suspicion of the disease arose from the sudden death of one pig on the farm. Blood samples were taken from all pigs and along with organs from the dead pig were sent to the National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute, where all pigs were diagnosed with ASF.
SFVS specialists have started an investigation to determine how the ASF virus entered the farm.
According to specialists, taking into account the cases in the wild, there is a high risk of occurrence of ASF in pig farms located in Kaunas, Telšiai, Švenčionys, Utena, Molėtai and Vilnius districts. The situation of the ASF in neighboring countries is also unfavorable. In Latvia, 3 ASF hotspots were identified this year, in which more than 11.5 thousand pigs were killed, and in Poland – another 15 hotspots, in which almost 40 thousand pigs were put down.
