ASF status remains 'low' as new cases recorded on Ukraine border

African swine fever continues to be reported from affected member states, with new cases being reported by Romania and Hungary, on the border with Ukraine.

In its latest international disease update, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) says it is not possible to say for certain if these are due to movements of wild boar across the border from the Ukraine or if they are infected following contact with hunters, including the possibility of infected porcine products being use as bait.

The UK risk status remains at 'low', unchanged on previous months. 

APHA, in conjunction with the industry, is running an ongoing public awareness campaign to ensure UK pig keepers take every possible precaution to keep ASF out of the UK. 

Key messages include: 

She outlined some ‘straightforward actions’ pig keepers can take to prevent the introduction of ASF, including:

• Strict biosecurity on their premises.
• Sourcing animal feed responsibly and never allowing kitchen scraps or catering waste to be fed to their pigs, which is illegal. This includes food from vegetarian kitchens.
• Not taking meat or meat products into areas where pigs are kept.
• Washing hands before and after eating or preparing food, if in contact with pigs.
• Routinely providing dedicated clothing and boots for workers and visitors and limiting visitors to a minimum.
• Preventing outside vehicles that may be contaminated from coming onto pig premises.