The European Union on Monday told Italy to establish an infected zone for African swine fever in areas of Rome and implement special control measures to stop it spreading.
It said Italy must “ensure that consignments of porcine animals kept in the areas listed as an infected zone… and products thereof are not authorised for movements to other Member States and to third countries”.
Health Undersecretary Andrea Costa has said that the government is finalizing a plan to cull wild boar, after several cases of swine fever were detected in Rome and with the animals becoming increasingly brazen about their encroachments into residential areas as they forage, especially in the capital. The undersecretary said the plan was being prepared by the health ministry and environmental-protection institute ISPRA together with the regions affected by the swine-fever outbreak, Liguria, Piedmont and Lazio.
The Rome cases, which rose to six Friday, are the first outside the area of the original outbreak in Liguria and Piedmont. African swine fever is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting both domestic and feral swine of all ages. ASF is not a threat to human health and cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans. It is not a food safety issue. ASF is found in countries around the world.
The authorities said two more cases were found in Liguria on Monday, taking the total for that region and Piedmont up to 119. The Coldiretti farm group said some 2.1 million boar needed to be culled in Italy as “a real risk to public safety”. (ANSA).
