11 Carantine zone of African swine fever specified in the municipality of Rezekne municipality

In early September, two farms of Rezekne municipality suffered from an outbreak of African swine fever – on 1 September, the dangerous disease was detected in the farm “gold” IN THE parish OF Griškānu, where 144 pigs were destroyed, while on 10 September the disease was discovered in a small farm in THE parish OF Nagļu, in which 12 pigs were eliminated. The Food and Veterinary Service (FVD) has immediately carried out disease eradication measures on both holdings – the pig holdings are disinfected, while a quarantine zone is defined in a radius of 13 kilometres around the holdings affected by swine fever.

In order to prevent the risk of spread of the infection, the quarantine zone is located within 40 days in the territory of the city of Rezekne, the Rēzekne municipality of Griškānu, Ozolaines, Ozolmuižas, Sakstagala, Audriņu, Vērēmu, Lendžu and Čornajas parish, as well as the municipality of Ludza in the municipality of Cirma, while in the case of the discovery of the disease at Nagļu, Rikavas and Gaigalavas parish as well as Viļānu and Viļānu in the parish. On arrival in the quarantine zone, the warning signs placed on the major roads will be reported, and the police will be monitored by the police, who will inspect cars and public transport so that meat or meat products are not removed from the quarantine area. “It is prohibited to remove non-labelled meat,” stresses the Vice-President of THE FVD North Latgale Administration, Senior Food Inspector Inese Atmane, “if the meat or meat products are bought in the store and are clearly labelled as well as a check confirming the purchase, the police will be able to continue the route after the police inspection, but if the person is not able to certify the origin of the meat, it will be confiscated.” In the case of meat or meat products purchased in the store, there are mostly labels, while in the market where the meat is sometimes unlabelled, a purchase cheque must be required to demonstrate that the meat has been manufactured and processed.

In the quarantine zone, the pig keepers are also subject to a variety of restrictions, such as the transfer of piglets or pigs from one holding to another, while the movement of other farmed animals, such as the removal of cattle to a slaughterhouse, may only be carried out by an authorisation issued by THE PVD veterinary inspector. In addition, all pig keepers must comply with biosecurity rules.

In the quarantine zone, pigs may be slaughtered for their needs. “It is only recommended that you call a veterinarian who measured the temperature to ensure that the incubation period has not already begun and that the meat is not infected with the virus, but the clinical signs may not be visible yet, but the body temperature is already at a maximum level,” stresses the WHD Northlatgale head Mārīte Nukša. However, the pig meat slaughtered cannot be exported from the holding: “if the farmer, such as Griškānu parish, is slaughtered and the meat is intended to be accompanied by children to Riga, do not do so. If the police stop, the meat will be confiscated," Mark Newton explains.

THE head of THE FVD North Latgale Administration says that THE PVD is currently working in enhanced mode. In the quarantine zone, PVD specialists will visit each pig holding. If the pigs are not registered, the administrative violation report will be drawn up and the owner of the holding is held liable. If biosecurity is observed and pigs are registered, only the animals will be checked. In addition, PSD inspectors will also be able to obtain comprehensive answers to all questions concerning the holding and restrictions of pigs in the quarantine zone. '

If domestic pigs can be protected from disease in compliance with biosecurity requirements, the risk of contamination of wild boars is much higher, for example, in the territory of Rezekne District, some sick wild boar has been found in all parishes.

There was a lot of cases where dead wild boar was found in grain fields, so that the disease virus could also be in grain and litter. “The virus died at 70 degrees, so it is safer for pigs to feed their own meal. If only the flour is made and the pig is fed into the pig, that means that the disease will be buried in the mouth of his pig," says Mark Neucha. The Mayor of the Mayor, like all living organisms, needs to drink. If it is very dry, then, for a while, the virus still survives, and then dies, so it is safer for pigs to feed the previous year's harvest – there is no evidence that the virus might survive in dry grains for a year. In the meantime, in a wet environment it can live for years, for example, even in frozen meat after several years, the virus is still found.

“It must be stressed that the pig is a man. Whether it is a feed or a litter, but without a human presence, the animal is not able to get the disease – the person is the direct distributor of the disease. The situation is very serious, so the pig keepers must take the greatest precautions,” says THE head of THE PVD North Latgale Administration.

Madara Laksa,
Public relations specialist of the municipality of Rezekne