African swine fever (ASF) has been detected at EKSEKO, Estonia’s largest pig farm, and at Piiskopi farm, located in the supervision zone of Nurme farm. As a result, the Agriculture and Food Board is activating its animal disease emergency response plan, and approximately 28,500 pigs will be culled.
Test results confirming ASF were received from a laboratory on Wednesday.
At both farms, one pig tested positive for ASF based on laboratory analyses. Due to the disease, all pigs at the affected farms will be culled,» said Inge Saavo, head of the southern region of the Agriculture and Food Board.
At the EKSEKO farm, situated not far from the county town of Viljandi in southern Estonia, the outbreak was identified in a separately managed farrowing unit, which currently houses around 27,000 pigs.
‘The pig that tested positive for ASF showed, to our knowledge, bleeding from the nose and eyes, and the animal had a bluish tint. There have also been pigs that have died or fallen ill. The pigs in the farrowing unit must be culled. Restrictions will also be imposed on the fattening unit, and the animals will remain under observation,’ Saavo said.
EKSEKO’s farrowing unit accounts for nearly 45 percent of Estonia’s piglet supply. The spread of the infection within the farm is a major blow to the entire Estonian pig production sector, significantly affecting self-sufficiency and food security.
Priit Dreimann, member of the management board of the farm’s owner Maag Agro, described the situation as regrettable.
‘We are currently talking about the culling of 27,000 pigs. The extensive culling at the EKSEKO farm would disrupt the entire production chain and halt pig farming at the farm for a significant amount of time. Unfortunately, this is a crisis of national proportions, which is the largest one in Estonian pig farming to date.’
The Piiskopi farm has nearly 1,500. The ASF-positive pigs showed symptoms characteristic of the disease. Additionally, the veterinary authority is aware of at least 20 more pigs with signs of illness in the same enclosure, Saavo said.
The Agriculture and Food Board draws everyone’s attention to the fact that only persons authorized by the agency may enter the territory of an outbreak site. Responsible behavior can reduce risks to Estonian pig farming. Traffic around the farm may be disrupted, and the agency apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.
The latest ASF outbreak in domestic pigs before the ones announced on Thursday was identified on Aug. 14 in Viljandi County, at the Tässi farm, which kept about 250 pigs. A total of over 54,650 domestic pigs have been confirmed infected in ten outbreaks this year.
As of Aug. 27, ASF has been diagnosed in 125 wild boars in Estonia. postimees.ee
