African swine fever

About African swine fever

African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious and fatal viral disease affecting domestic pigs and wild boar. The virus which causes the disease is highly resistant and can survive for a long time in the environ­ment and in meat from infected animals, even if the meat has been frozen. African swine fever does not infect people. The disease has not yet been found in Sweden but could cause con­siderable damage among our domestic pigs and wild boar. Manage­ment of the disease could be very costly.

How we will keep African swine fever away from Swedish animals

There are several things that we can all do to help prevent the intro­duc­tion of African swine fever in Sweden.

What the public can do

• Throw food waste in the rubbish. Do not leave left­overs in the open after a picnic or at rest areas along the roads.
• Do not bring sausages or other meat products to Sweden from countries where African swine fever is present.
• Compost your food waste in a closed con­tainer which wild boar cannot access.
• Report any findings of wild boar which are ill or have died from natural causes to the Swedish Veterinary Institute (SVA).

What pig keepers can do

• Do not feed food scraps to pigs. Doing so is pro­hibited because of the risk of con­tagion.
• Ensure that visitors to your animal pens use pro­tective clothing and wash their hands when they enter the pens.
• Avoid, if possible, the intro­duction to any animal of roughage from areas where African swine fever is present.
• If you have bought roughage or straw from a country where African swine fever is present, and you find animal remains in the roughage which cannot be defini­tely identified as not coming from wild boar, you need to contact our staff at the animal health unit. foderdjurprodukter@jordbruksverket.se
• Report any findings of wild boar which are ill or have died from natural causes to the Swedish Veterinary Institute (SVA).

What hunters can do

• Report any findings of wild boar which are ill or have died from natural causes to the Swedish Veterinary Institute (SVA).
• Clean clothes and equip­ment if you have been on a boar hunt in a country where the infect­ion is present. The blood and faeces of wild boar can spread the disease. First, clean mecha­nically with a brush and water to remove any visible dirt and blood, and then store your clothes and equip­ment indoors in an airy place at room tempera­ture for at least a week before using them again.
• Wash your hunting dog after you have taken it hunting in a country where the infection is present.
• Do not visit Swedish pig herds within 48 hours of wild boar hunting in a country where the infection is present.
• Meat and untreated game trophies may pose a risk of infection and must not be left so that pigs or wild boar can access them.