There is only one outbreak of African swine fever in Bulgaria so far

So far, there is only one outbreak of African swine fever in Bulgaria, near the village of Kainardzha, in the region of Silistra. This was the conclusion at a joint meeting of the Bulgarian-Romanian Agriculture Commission on 25^th of October. There are more than a thousand outbreaks of African swine fever in neighbouring Romania. It is difficult to control the spread of the virus because of the migration of wild boars and because some farms hide animals.

Only in Giurgiu region in Romania, which is 6 km away from Bulgaria’s Rousse, there are over 20 outbreaks of African swine fever. More than 400,000 pigs in farms and private yards have been destroyed in the country, and farmers will be paid nearly 30 million euros in compensation. However, many owners have ignored the risk of infection, which immediately led to an increase in the outbreaks.

In Rousse area, where three of the largest pig farmjs in Bulgaria are located, currently there is no case of the disease. Farmers from Slivo Pole municipality have complied with the recommendation to slaughter their pigs earlier. However, the problem with the migration of wild boars remains unresolved.

Unlike in Bulgaria, there are no restrictions in Romania for the hunting of wild boars, especially in the areas where sick animals have already been found.