Pig fever sweeps across Russia

 

Deadly virus may be poised to spread to neighbouring states.

• Ewen Callaway

28 August 2012

Mass culls and vigilant hygiene are the main forms of defence against the African swine fever virus.

K. Chalabov/RIA Novosti

 

Russian authorities have incinerated tens of thousands of pigs and closed roads in the past few weeks, in an attempt to contain an emerging outbreak of African swine fever, a viral disease so lethal to the animals that it has been likened to Ebola. The spread of the disease comes with a heavy economic toll — last year, the Russian Federation lost 300,000 of the country’s 19 million pigs to swine fever, at an estimated cost of about 7.6 billion roubles (US$240 million).
African swine fever was also detected for the first time in Ukraine in late July, and European and Asian countries are on the alert to deal with outbreaks that could cost their pork industries billions of dollars. With no vaccine or cure for the disease, mass culls and vigilant hygiene offer the main defence.....  http://www.nature.com/news/pig-fever-sweeps-across-russia-1.11294