Animal virology

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.

After Ovine rinderpest was discovered in Voden, the Bulgarian authorities had to work out how to kill thousands of animals in a matter of days.

Of course plans and precedents exist for such a programme but on a logistical and human level, there are many challenges to overcome.

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

Euronews: Hundreds of farmers in Bulgaria have protested in the capital Sofia against a government mass slaughter of livestock.

The cull was prompted by an outbreak of ovine rinderpest which was found at a farm close to the border with Turkey. The disease is highly contagious but doesn't infect humans and is the first major outbreak in the EU.

Sofia. The measures taken by the Bulgarian authorities on the outbreaks of ovine rinderpest are strictly in line with the European Commission's recommendations and procedures, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis told Bulgarian reporters, Focus News Agency reports.

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria reported on Thursday another case of the highly contagious Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) close to the border with Turkey.

The virus, which can infect up to 90 percent of an animal heard but does not infect humans, was found in the small town of Bolyarovo, the Bulgarian food and safety agency said.

Bulgaria reported on July 19 another case of the highly contagious Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) close to the border with Turkey.

Sofia. The most likely cause of ovine rinderpest in Bulgaria and the EU is illegal transportation of an infected animal from Turkey, Dr. Ivayla Davidova, who heads the Official Control Verification department at the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA), told a press conference, Focus News Agency reports.