African swine fever confirmed in Greece for the first time
6th Feb 2020 / By Alistair Driver
African swine fever (ASF) has been found in Greece for the first time, the Greek media is reporting.
The Greek Ministry of Agriculture announced on Wednesday that the disease had been detected at a small pig farm in the region of Serres, in the north east of the country, Ekathimerini.com reported.
Infection was confirmed after tissues of the dead pig to the Athens Veterinary Center, a reference laboratory for the diagnosis of the disease.
In an emergency meeting held at the ministry, Agriculture and Food Minister Makis Voridis and other officials announced a series of measures to contain the spread of ASF to other regions.
This includes a ban on the export of all swine products, including meat, food, sperm and eggs, utensils and other related waste from the region, while no live pigs can be transferred out of the region. Serres veterinarian centres, police, port and government authorities have been placed on alert.
The virus has been detected regularly in neighbouring Bulgaria in recent months.