African swine fever virus

Bulgaria has built over 101 kilometers out of the 133 kilometers of fencing on its border with Romania, with the purpose of preventing the spread of the African swine fever virus by boars in Romania that may cross the border, according to Bulgaria's deputy Agriculture minister Atanas Dobrev.

Dobrev estimated that the fence will be completed sometime next week.

The government has convened in a meeting to analyse the measures taken by the authorities against an African swine fever outbreak that affects Romania.

Between 200 and 300 thousand leva will cost the fence that will be built on our land border with Romania to limit the risk of African swine fever. It will be four-row with a barbed wire, of which one linear meter costs 60 stotinki.

BULGARIA - Clearing of land to enable the building of a fence at the Romanian border has begun, to prevent the movement of wild boar into Bulgaria as a measure against African swine fever

Bulgaria will no longer be able to import food for personal consumption containing pork, says an order of the Executive Director of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency due to the African swine fever disease, reports Sega.

92 outbreaks of African swine fever have already occurred in the Romanian town of Tulcea, which is only 160 km away from the Bulgarian border.

In connection with a new outbreak of African swine fever virus in feral pigs near the border of Bulgaria in Tulcea, Romania, the Executive Agency for Forests calls on Bulgarian hunters to strictly observe the preventive measures imposed to reduce the spread of the disease, the agency said.

The Government has approved the allocation of an additional BGN 5mln to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry budget for the eradication of outbreaks of avian influenza (bird flu), compensation for animal owners, as well as tests for the diagnosis of African swine fever disease (ASFV).

Animal products' imports by consumers from Moldova and Ukraine will be banned in order to prevent the African swine fever (ASF) enter Romania, said on Friday the Agriculture minister, Achim Irimescu in western Timișoara.

Switzerland is to ban imports of live pigs and pork from several EU countries, including Bulgaria, in a bid to stop an African swine fever outbreak from reaching the country.

Imports from Bulgaria and Romania and some parts of Latvia and Croatia will be banned as of Wednesday, Swiss food safety authorities said on Tuesday.