Belarus has restricted pork supplies from Tula Oblast, Russia, due to an outbreak of African swine fever, according to the Veterinary and Food Monitoring Department of the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry.

According to Rosselkhoznadzor (the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance), African swine fever was detected on the territory of this oblast. The department also informed about further spread of this disease in Tambov, Smolensk, Volgograd, Moscow and Yaroslavl Oblasts.

In this respect Belarus has introduced temporary restrictions to prevent the import of live animals, pork and processed pork products, hides, hoof raw materials, hog hair, hog meat, and hunter’s trophy acquired from susceptible animals. Belarus has also banned the import of fodder and feed supplements for animals including those made from poultry and fish, supplementary feed for cats and dogs and ready-made feed for dogs and cats that have been thermally treated and made out of raw materials originating from Tambov, Smolensk, Volgograd, Moscow, Yaroslavl, and Tula Oblasts, as well as second-hand equipment to breed, slaughter and gut pigs.

The Veterinary and Food Monitoring Department stressed the necessity of additional measures for environmental control over pig-breeding complexes and farms.

According to the information posted on the official website of Rosselkhoznadzor, as of 2 August African swine fever cases were registered in 14 places on the territory of the Russian Federation: in North Ossetia-Alania, Voronezh, Rostov, Volgograd, Tver, Tambov, Saratov, Belgorod, Smolensk, Moscow, Pskov, Yaroslavl and Tula Oblasts, Krasnodar Krai.

African swine fever is a contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild swine. The disease is transmitted via direct contact, via products made of pork, by ticks and mechanically (by transportation means, during the transportation of people and animals). No vaccine is available. The animals suspected to have the disease are slaughtered. The disease does not affect humans.

BelTA