site.btaBulgaria's Only Indigenous Pig Breed Not Infected with African Swine Fever

105 ECONOMY - AFRICAN SWINE FEVER - INDIGENOUS PIGS

Bulgaria's Only Indigenous
Pig Breed Not Infected
with African Swine Fever


Sofia, August 2 (BTA) - African swine fever has not been diagnosed yet in the East Balkan pig, the only indigenous pig breed in Bulgaria, expert Radostina Radeva said in a BTA interview. She said the latest test samples from this kind of pigs were taken last week.

Radeva is President of the East Balkan Pig Breeding and Preservation Association, which is based in the northeastern town of Shoumen.

Everything possible is being done to protect the breed. The animals are kept away from disease hotspots without weakening their natural immunity while preserving their natural habitat in the woods, the expert said.

At present, the only relevant protection measure is to designate forest areas exclusively for East Balkan pigs and to keep wild boars out of them. This can be done by building electric fences.

Overall, the measures to prevent African swine fever in Bulgaria are belated, Radeva said. "Unless the public is convinced that we have a common national problem, any measures will be doomed to failure," she said. LY/VE
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