site.btaYambol Region Launches Campaign to Curb African Swine Fever Outbreak

An active campaign has started for the registration of pigs kept on subsistence farms in Yambol region, it became clear during a meeting of the regional epizootic commission on Monday. The measure is part of preventive activities in connection with an outbreak of African swine fever reported in the region.

There are only 189 registered backyard pig farms in the entire Yambol region, which has 109 settlements, said Dr. Stoyan Kolev, head of the Animal Health Department at the Regional Directorate for Food Safety.

"The remaining subsistence farms are illegal. That is why the biggest difficulty is with mayors and mayors' offices, with local authorities, to be able to register all subsistence farms keeping one to three pigs for domestic use," he said.

Epizootic commissions will be urgently convened in the five municipalities of the district. "We will start this yard-to-yard inspection so that we can clarify what biosecurity measures need to be taken. Registration is not difficult, and we will act on violators in accordance with current veterinary legislation," Kolev said.

Regarding pig farms in the Yambol region, veterinary control there is weekly and no additional measures will be imposed, Kolev said. "We have five industrial farms with 40,000 pigs. We also have four family farms, with up to 1,000 pigs. Their owners have been warned about the outbreak," he said.