Romania in alert state: 440 outbreaks of African swine fever in 7 counties (ANSVSA)

Romania is in an alert state, both internally and in the border area with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, so as to handle the epidemiological evolution of the African swine fever but also to prevent the occurrence of new outbreaks, given that currently there are 440 outbreaks in seven counties, the President of the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA), Geronimo Branescu told AGERPRES. 

He specified that as many as 440 outbreaks are presently at various evolution stages, of which 438 in the population's households and two in commercial farms in Tulcea county, in the first farm the sacrificing of 45,000 pigs being due for completion. 

"Unfortunately, the African swine fever has been again confirmed in a new farm in Tulcea, holding 17,000 pigs, that are already being sacrificed. As many as 7 counties are affected, namely Satu Mare, where the first African swine fever outbreak started, where there are 5 outbreaks in households and case of wild boars. In the case of domestic pigs there are 440 outbreaks and in that of boars, there are 16 cases on Romania's territory. It is worth mentioning that by African swine fever outbreak we understand the evolution of the disease in a farm that has one or more pigs which have been confirmed to carry the African fever," the ANSVSA President explained. 

"We have submitted a request to the European Commission for additional funds to those already granted to Romania, by co-financing programmes, amounts that are due to be used for the payment of compensations to the owners of animals affected by the African swine fever, depending on the epidemiological context in Romania, that we cannot yet estimate. We have obtained the agreement de facto and we need to communicate for settlement the exact figures that result from the actions and the compensations. We have amounts allocated from the budget in this respect, but they were exceeded, that is why we submitted the necessary request to the Public Finance Ministry and the European Commission," the head of ANSVSA added. 

The African swine fever outbreaks have been active in Romania since 2017, but their number has soared in June this year, after the first suspicions of fever were confirmed in localities on Danube's Chilia Branch. In June, veterinarians sacrificed 1,715 pigs in private households in several localities in the Delta region of Tulcea County and started the euthanasia of 44,580 pigs in a commercial farm near Tulcea Municipality.