France to build fence to keep African swine fever out

The French authorities will begin erecting a fence on the Belgian border this weekend to try and keep African swine out of the country, according to French media reports.

It is being reported that a fence is also to be erected around Belgium’s infected area in the south of the country to contain the virus, which has been confirmed in 75 wild boar so far.

The building of the fence between Belgium and France was announced by Eric Freysselinard, the prefect of Meurthe-et-Moselle, in north eastern France, according to a report in La Republicain Lorrain.

It reported that the hunting federation of Meurthe-et-Moselle has agreed to participate in the fence’s installation on Saturday, under the auspices of the state services. The departments of other regions close to the infected region in southern Belgium, Meuse, Ardennes and Moselle, are also expected to build fences.

The prefect of Meurthe-et-Moselle has banned hunting, all leisure activities, forestry work in the forest in its ‘zone of reinforced observation’ until October 20. The Meuse authorities have taken the same steps, with Ardennes expected to follow, according to the report.

While the number of wild boar confirmed with ASF in Belgium’s infected area continues to rise, so far no cases have been recorded outside the zone and there have been no cases in domestic pigs.

A total of 139 wild boar carcases have been tested so far. Of the 111 found in the infected zone, 75 have tested positive for the ASF virus. None of the 28 found outside the zone have tested positive. An estimated 4000 wild boars would live in the infected zone.

More than 4,000 commercial and domestic pigs have been slaughtered inside the zone as a precautionary measure.