Belarus bans pork imports from Tver, Volgograd regions due to swine fever
MINSK. July 25 (Interfax) - Belarus has banned pork imports from Tver and Volgograd region due to the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF).
"The Veterinary and Food Supervision Department has said that imports to Belarus of live pigs, pork meat or pork products from Tver and Volgograd regions are banned," the Agriculture and Food Ministry told Interfax.
The ban also applies to leather, hooves and intestinal material, bristle, wild boar meat, hunting trophies, fodder and feed additives for livestock or second-hand equipment for housing, slaughtering and handling pigs, the ministry said.
Quarantine was imposed at the end of last week due to an outbreak of ASF in the Kalachevsky, Oktyabrsky and Svetloyarsky districts in Volgograd region. An emergency situation regime has been imposed at the Leninsky and Sredneakhtubinsky districts.
The ASF quarantine was imposed in Tver region on July 19. The virus is threatening a breeding plant there that houses over 100,000 pigs. A commission from the agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor is at the site to evaluate the level of danger, prevent the spread and meet with regional authorities.
ASF is a highly contagious disease, which in its acute form is can cause the deaths of 98%-100% of animals. There is no treatment or specific prevention for the disease. ASF is not dangerous to humans.
The economic damage caused by ASF comes from direct losses from the liquidation of the disease and international trade restrictions.
