FAO EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER THE FACT THAT THE VIRUS OF THE AFRICAN SWINE FEVER IN GEORGIA MAY MOVE TO AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA AND RUSSIA

ArmInfo
2007-06-12 21:55:00

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is
concerned over the outbreak of the African swine fever virus in
Georgia. The FAO leadership expressed concern over the fact that the
virus may move to the neighboring countries and called on Azerbaijan,
Armenia and Russia to be on high alert.

The UN’s web-site reports that FAO qualifies this as a dramatic
development in the international distribution of African Swine
Fever, which has been almost entirely confined to sub-Saharan
Africa since 1990. "It causes fever and results in very high pig
mortality. African Swine Fever does not affect humans," the source
reports. At the same time, FAO experts point out that the disease has
a catastrophic effect on commercial and smallholder pig production and
has serious socio-economic consequences for rural livelihoods. There
is no vaccine against the disease; stamping out is the only emedy,
the source adds. But stamping out of half a million of animals will
cause huge economic losses. FAO experts hope that a compromise solution
will be found, and pigs will not be stamped out, at least in those
regions where the lack of virus is confirmed.

To remind, Georgia reported that outbreaks have started at the end
of April in 10 regions spread across the country. A total of 20 000
pigs in village and commercial farms have been slaughtered. It is
probable that the virus has entered Georgia through imported frozen
or processed pig meat, FAO says.

The State Veterinary Service of Armenia has imposed a temporary ban on
import of pork and relevant meat products from Georgia in connection
with the ASF registered in the Georgian territory. Not a single case
of this disease or pig mortality caused by ASF has been registered
in Armenia.