Greece detects African swine fever in wild boar in Serres

Greece reported a case of African swine fever (ASF) at a breeding farm in the north of the country this week, agriculture ministry announced on Friday.

The virus was detected in a dead female wild boar in the municipal unit of Petritsi, in the region of Serres, it said.

The ministry of agriculture has taken measures to deal with the situation, such as a ban on the movement of pork meat and live pigs from the region.

The last time Greek authorities reported ASF cases was in February 2020, at a small pig farm in the same region.

ASF is an infectious disease which is usually deadly for pigs but harmless to humans. It is transmitted by ticks of the genus Ornithodoros to common warthogs when they feed on the wild animals’ blood. Domestic pigs can catch the virus by coming into contact with bodily fluids or carcasses of infected wild boar.

The disease can seriously affect the relevant animal population and the profitability of livestock, disrupting the movement of consignments and their products within the Union and exports to third countries.