ARMENIA ALSO HIT BY AFRICAN SWINE FEVER

PigProgress.net, Netherlands
nia_also_hit_by_african_swine_fever.html
Aug 27 2007

The outbreak of African Swine Fever in the Caucasian region has
entered Armenia as well.

This weekend, Armenian agricultural authorities confirmed reports that
several rural communities in the North-Eastern provinces of Lori and
Tavush have been affected by African Swine Fever (ASF).

Last week, the disease was reported in the autonomous region of
Abchazia in Northern Georgia after a summer with many outbreaks
in Georgia.

Now Armenia, south of Georgia and north of Iran, has become the next
victim of the virus that usually does not spread north of the Sahara.

Authorities said that in the villages of Vahagnadzor, Vahagni, Pambak
and Dsekh pigs died in mass.

Penetration Grisha Baghian, head of food safety and veterinary medicine
department of the ministry, said the infectious disease has most
probably penetrated from neighbouring Georgia, where it has killed
already over 30,000 pigs and where about 22,000 pigs had to be culled.

The ministry said it has ordered swift preventive measures to ward
off spread of the disease.

Ban In some areas of both provinces the ban on pig movements and
marketing was enforced.

Pig owners were told to burn the carcasses of dead pigs and also
strict entry and exit controls between all infected and free areas
have been enforced, all vehicles and people entering and leaving
farms must undergo strict disinfection procedures.

In the meantime, veterinary officials from the Georgian ministry
of agriculture have met with their Abkhaz and Russian colleagues to
discuss the outbreak of the disease in the regions affected.