African swine fever, a viral disease deadly to pigs
but harmless to human beings, is spreading beyond Russia and the
Caucasus region into Europe, the United Nations' food agency said
Thursday.
"African swine fever is fast becoming a global issue," said Juan
Lubroth, chief veterinary officer for the Food and Agriculture
Organization.
"It now poses an immediate threat to Europe and beyond. Countries
need to be on the alert and to strengthen their preparedness and
contingency plans," he said.
The disease, for which there is currently no vaccine, was introduced
into Georgia from southern Africa late in 2006. It entered through the
Black Sea port of Poti, where garbage from a ship was taken to a dump
where pigs came to feed, the FAO said.
Strategies to tackle African swine fever include quarantine, on-farm
security and other measures aimed at minimizing the risk of
introduction and establishing of the disease. Xinhua
