Estonia’s Veterinary and Food Board announced on Monday the confirmation of the country’s inaugural case of African swine fever in a wild boar. This development follows the discovery of swine fever in Estonia’s southern neighbor Latvia in June and subsequent reports in Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus.
In response to the spread of the disease, Russia imposed a ban on live pig and pork exports from the European Union, impacting Estonia’s live pig exports significantly.
The contagious disease, which lacks a vaccine, poses a threat to both domestic pigs and wild boars, often resulting in fatal consequences. Notably, African swine fever does not affect humans. According to the Estonian government agency, the infected wild boar was discovered in the southeastern part of the country, near the border with Latvia. This development adds to the growing concerns about the regional impact of the disease on the swine industry.
