PRAGUE, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The Czech Republic has registered its first ever case of African swine fever, Agriculture Minister Marian Jurecka said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Jurecka said the disease was found in two dead wild boars that may have crossed the border into the Zlin region of the country.
Representatives of Czech State Veterinary Administration (SVS) have been inspecting two farms near Zlin that keep 5,000 pigs. If domesticated pigs catch the disease, they have to be put down.
A 10-km zone around Zlin has been cordoned off. In the zone, wild boars must not be hunted or fed, and hunters must actively seek and report dead wild boar. Breeders must report all the pigs on the farm and manage them to avoid them getting in touch with feral pigs. Violates these measures incurs a heavy fine, said SVS spokesman Petr Vorlicek on Tuesday.
African swine fever is characterized by a high fever that lasts for several days, bloody diarrhea, and vomitting. A vaccination against the infection does not exist. The infection does not affect humans. Enditem
