Quarantine imposed in south Russia over swine fever outbreak

12:56 27/06/2010





© RIA Novosti. Denis Voroshilov


An emergency situation has been introduced in a district in Russia's southern Rostov Region where a swine fever outbreak was registered on Saturday, the regional emergencies center said on Sunday.
The swine fever virus was found in a private farm holding in the village of Duby in the Tarasovsky district where two swine died of the disease, the emergencies center said, adding that a quarantine regime had been introduced at the neighboring Mityatinskoye village where 549 pigs were kept.
The Rostov Region has been hit by large-scale swine fever outbreaks several times this year. In particular, the virus was found in February this year in a personal subsidiary plot in Gukovo, following which the entire swine stick consisting of over 350 pigs was destroyed, with the damage amounting to 2.23 million rubles ($72,000).
Swine fever outbreaks were also registered in mid-May at the Kazachiy krai pig farm in the Tatsinsky district where almost 2,000 pigs were destroyed and in late May at the Donskoye farm in the Oktyabrsky district where almost 4,000 pigs were destroyed.
African swine fever, or Montgomery's disease, was first reported in Africa in 1903. Both domestic and wild animals can become infected when they come into contact with sick animals. The virus does not affect humans.
ROSTOV-ON-DON, June 27