African swine fever (ASF) has been discovered in Albania for the first time, as it becomes the latest European country to report the virus.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) reports that the virus was found in two wild boar in a forest in the Kukes region in the North West the country, not far from its borders with North Macedonia and Montenegro, both of which have reported ASF outbreaks recently.
The disease was confirmed by the Food Safety and Veterinary Institute on February 10 and reported to WOAH on February 26.
The discovery of ASF in the country will come as no surprise, given the prevalence of the disease in neighbouring countries.
Montenegro reported its first case in wild boar January and North Macedonia reported 36 cases in wild boar and 15 cases in domestic pigs between May 2023 and January 2024.
In its latest update on ASF in Europe, the Animal and Plant Health Agency revealed that ASF was reported in domestic pigs in 13 European countries between May 2023 and January 2024.
There were 2,920 reports of the virus over the period, led by Bosnia and Herzegovina, with more than 1,500 cases, one of four Balkans countries affected last year – Serbia reported 482 domestic cases, Croatia reported 293 and North Macedonia, 15.
In addition, the virus was reported in wild boar in 17 European countries over the period. By far and away the most affected country was Poland with 1,565 reported cases in wild boar, followed by Italy, 736, Latvia, 614, Hungary, 208 and Romania, 133.