OIE asks for better meat tracking system to tackle ASF
The key to controlling African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks is a better system for tracking the meat from the infected animal, warns the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
ASF outbreaks have been reported in Europe and China and the fast pace of spreading is the most worrying issue for the authorities, reports Reuters.
"The scenario in China is very challenging because of the amount of spread that has already occurred and the significant degree of contamination of various meat products", declared Matthew Stone, Deputy Director General of the Paris-based OIE, in an interview with Reuters.
A large number of pigs were sent to slaughterhouses days before the virus was reported in different areas of China and that situation allowed the virus to enter the meat supply chain and creating an ongoing risk of further exposure.
Pigs can be infected by ASF through direct contact with infected pigs or the ingestion of garbage containing meat and or meat products from infected pigs. African swine fever, which does not affect humans, is characterized by high fever, loss of appetite, haemorrhages and death in two to 10 days. Mortality rates may be as high as 100%. There is no vaccine nor treatment for it.
In Europe, the latest development in the ASF crisis has affected countries such as Romania, Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria, with Romanian national pig inventory decreasing by 250,000 due to the culling of infected animals. The free circulation of people inside EU borders is one of the main problems that pose new risks for the countries that have not been affected by the virus yet. "The humanitarian crisis of migration creates new risks for Europe that people are very mindful of, but so do populations of migrant workers that are legally coming to countries, retain strong connections to their home country, involving visit time and typically returning with food. This is quite a typical scenario in many countries and a very challenging one to get on top of because it’s very hard to undertake appropriate screening across the borders for all the cars and trucks and people that move across the borders", explained Stone.
Many workers from Poland, Romania and Bulgaria are constantly travelling inside EU borders attracted by higher salaries in the Western countries. Also, the ASF outbreak in China can prove to be the trigger for a larger epidemic crisis that can affect many neighbouring countries, according to the latest reports issued by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.
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