African swine fever outbreak widened in Lithuania in 2017: veterinary authority

VILNIUS, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Number of African swine fewer (ASF) increased fourfold in Lithuania in 2017 among wild boars, compared to 2016, Lithuanian State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) announced on Thursday.

In domestic farms the number of ASF cases increased twice last year, VMVT added in a statement.

"Despite the measures implemented in order to monitor and prevent this infectious disease of animals, the situation as regards ASM is worrying," Darius Remeika, director of VMVT, was quoted as saying in the statement.

"The disease has stroke new territories where population of wild boars is dense and the environment for spreading of the virus is favorable," he added.

According to the data from the veterinary authority, ASF was found in 32 Lithuanian municipalities in 2017. The cases of the disease were registered in 30 domestic farms. Around 2,456 wild boars were infected with ASF last year.

The outbreak of the virus is a regional problem, VMVT noted. Lithuania made the first notification of ASF cases in wild boar in January 2014, with Poland, Latvia, Estonia following later the same year. In mid 2017, the first ASF case was found in the Czech Republic.

Only domestic and feral pigs and wild boars can be infected by ASF. The virus causing this disease does not pose any threat to other animals or humans. Enditem