An alarming pace

African swine fever (ASF) is spreading at an alarming pace in Europe, particularly in the east of the continent, despite efforts to combat it. Countries are facing great difficulties in controlling and eliminating the disease,according to the World Organization for Animal Health.

• The areas that are mainly affected are Romania, Moldova, and western Russia, but the disease has also appeared in Italy and Germany. Ukraine is being monitored, and France and the Netherlands have so far escaped this infection. Belgium and the Czech Republic have successfully eliminated the virus.
• Since there’s no cure yet, ASF is fatal to animals and usually leads owners to preemptively cull animals. 

In order to fight this constant threat to the pork industry in Europe, the European Food Safety Authority launched its third outreach campaign this summer to spread awareness among breeders, veterinarians, and fishermen about the way the disease is spreading.

• The virus can survive for up to two months in meat and be transmitted from one country to another by infected food or by a contaminated vector – such as a salami sandwich. If the infected food is dumped where it can be accessed by wild boars, for example, it will spread.