Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina record first ASF cases

ASF has been confirmed for the first time in two Balkans countries, Bosnia-Herzegovina and neighbouring Croatia, within just a few miles of each other

Bosnia-Herzegovina recorded its first case on June 22 in one pig on a farm near Bijeljina in the north-east of the country, very close to the border with Serbia, according to a report by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). There were no other pigs on the farm.

Four days later, Croatia’s agriculture ministry revealed outbreaks had been confirmed on two outdoor pig farms, with 48 pigs between them, near ​Posavski Podgajac in Vukovar-Srijem County, in the east of the country, very close to the Croation border. Tests were being undertaken on suspected at another two locations in the nearby area.

The Croatian outbreaks were initially discovered just a day after confirmation of the virus in Bosnia and, Pig Progress reports, the outbreaks are just 25km apart across the border of the two countries.

The Croatian veterinary institute ordered various measures to control the outbreak, including restrictions on pigs movement, culling of pigs on farms and assessing potential further spread.

Serbia recorded 107 ASF outbreaks in domestic pigs last year, and 28 outbreaks in domestic pigs between mid-April and mid-May this year.