The situation connected with fulfillment of state measures on control of spread of ASF in the territory of Russia was discussed last week during the Session of the intergovernmental commission, according to the federal service for veterinary and phytosanitary surveillance, Rosselkhoznadzor. The meeting was chaired by Elena Skrynnik, Minister of Agriculture, and was held in the EMERCOM National Crisis Management Centre.
The situation still remains serious. Outbreaks have been detected among domestic pigs in the territory of seven Russian Federation Subjects, and among boars – in the territory of six subjects.
It has been noted that the situation is getting progressively worse. Eight affected areas were detected in the first half of this year, in the second half they were 29.
The situation is the most difficult in the Rostovskaya Oblast, 23 affected areas and seven infected objects have been detected there. The infection is present among boars across the whole territory of the North Caucasus, among domestic pigs – across the whole territory of the Southern Federal District except the Vologodskaya Oblast.
The entry of products infected with African swine fever virus into the meat distribution network is a matter of great concern. It is the direct result of the multiple violations of the quarantine not only by citizens but also by administration and Veterinary Services of the RF Subjects.
In particular, the most serious violations of the imposed conditions directed on prevention of spread of ASF have been detected to be made by the economic entities, the administration and the veterinary service of the Rostovskaya Oblast. The work on reduction of the wild boar population has not been carried out in the region, closed operations have not been introduced in most of the pig farms there, record-keeping on the domestic swine population is poor, measures to control of transportation of pigs and swine products have not been implemented as necessary, the administration and the Veterinary Service of the oblast covered up information of swine mortality cases, animals from the infected farm were sent to slaughter-houses and processing plants with the consent of the administration, and it lead to further spread of infection.
It has been documented that accompanying veterinary documents for transportation of consignments under quarantine out of the region.
The decisions of the conferences held in the Federal Districts and Instructions of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Rosselkhoznadzor and the intergovernmental commission to prevent the spread of ASF within Russia have been ignored. The result is that 23 of the 37 affected areas in the territory of Russia have been detected in the Rostovskaya Oblast, other subjects of the Russian Federation are at risk. Other deficiencies in the work of the veterinary services of Kalmykia and North Ossetia have been detected.
A set of measures directed on prevention of further spread of ASF in the Russian Federation was discussed during the session. It has been noted that the current situation is very serious: the whole territory of the Southern Federal District can become permanently affected with ASF. In this case, the probability of introduction of infection into the Voronezhskaya, Lipetskaya, Saratovakaya, Moscovskaya Oblasts and into Mordovia and Tatarstan is very high.
Further Reading
Further Reading
8 December 2009
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