Pig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Buildings supplement
    • February 2025
    • 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Pig Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • 2024 Buildings Supplement
    • March 2024
    • 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • Health Supplement
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
Podcast
Pig WorldPig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    1. June 2025
    2. 2025 Innovation supplement
    3. May 2025
    4. April 2025
    5. March 2025
    6. 2025 Buildings supplement
    7. February 2025
    8. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    9. January 2025
    10. December 2024
    11. November 2024
    12. 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    13. October 2024
    14. September 2024
    15. August 2024
    16. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    17. July 2024
    18. June 2024
    19. 2024 Innovation supplement
    20. 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    21. May 2024
    22. April 2024
    23. 2024 Buildings Supplement
    24. March 2024
    25. 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    26. February 2024
    27. January 2024
    28. December 2023
    29. November 2023
    30. 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    31. October 2023
    32. September 2023
    33. Health Supplement
    Featured

    June 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    June 4, 2025
    Recent

    June 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    June 4, 2025

    2025 Innovation supplement now available

    June 4, 2025

    May 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    May 1, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
African swine fever

‘Concern’ over threat of wild boar spread of ASF into France

Alistair DriverBy Alistair DriverJanuary 25, 20194 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has warned that there is growing concern that African swine fever (ASF) will spread across the Belgian border into France.

In its latest update on ASF in Belgium, APHA said the authorities had reported 245 case  in wild boar (out of nearly 700 dead animals tested) in the Luxembourg region, close to the French border by early January. According to a briefing forwarded to the NPA by ForFarmers’ Andrew Knowles, this figure has now risen to close to 350 positive carcases.

The infected region is close to the border with France, within a forested area of nearly 80 km2. “There is now concern that ASF will spread into wild boar in France,” the APHA briefing stated.

On December 20, 10 wild boar carcases were found on the Belgian side behind the installed fences in the peripheral zone in front of a container park in Meixdevant-Virton, a Belgian border town not far from Thonne-La-Long (North-eastern France).

A few days earlier, another carcase had been found not far from Gerouville, north-west of Meix-devant-Virton, less than a mile from the French border.

APHA Belgium ASF map

ASF has since been confirmed in some of those carcases, prompting the French authorities to step up their defences against the virus, including a wild boar cull, building a fence close the Belgian border and ceasing activity in the forest. “We are now at a maximum risk level,” a French Ministry statement said.

In its update, APHA said: “It is recognised that the erected (Belgian) fence will not stop ASF-infected wild boar from crossing into France, especially as this area is interspersed with roads of the Walloon automobile network and forest roads in Macadam. The distance between their site in Meix-devant-Virton and the French commune Thonne La-Long is just 3.5 miles as the crow flies.”

The only consolation remains that there have still not been any cases in domestic pigs. Belgium preventively culled all 5,000 domestic pigs within the infected area soon after the virus was discovered and has implemented strict control measures. This includes a ban on most activities in the forest, including logging, causing economic losses for the region. The commercial pig sector is located over 200km away, in the Flanders region.

The Belgium livestock sector is lobbying the Government to introduce stricter controls, including culling pigs on commercial farms that are still in the current zone and eradicating the wild boar population in the zone.

Eastern Europe

APHA has also published an updated risk assessment on ASF in Eastern Europe. There is better news in that the number of cases in domestic pigs across the affected countries has fallen every month since July. There were just 27 cases recorded in December, including 22 in Romania, four in Ukraine and one in Moldova. This compared with a total of 437 in July.

In contrast, the number of cases in wild boar has remained consistently high and has increased in December, with Poland reporting almost half the cases. However, there have been no new large geographical jumps in December, and increased numbers of ASF-positive wild boar may be related to the stepping up of surveillance programmes in some places, APHA said.

Risk assessment

APHA confirmed that the risk level for entry to the UK still remains at ‘medium’, after it was raised towards the end of last year. The risk of exposure to the UK pig population is still considered to be ‘low’ although the situation is being kept under review and is still highly dependent on the level of biosecurity on individual pig premises but is.

The agency added: “Under winter conditions, it is more difficult to effectively disinfect vehicles and equipment, and, the ASF virus persists at low temperatures for many weeks.

“It is important to highlight that all products of porcine origin (including wild boar), unless processed by an approved process, are high risk commodities from affected areas. These products include fresh or frozen pig meat, salamis and hams, skins and bristles, germinal products, live animals, hunting trophies and any equipment which has had contact with an affected animal or the environment where they are found.”

APHA is urging pig keepers and vets to remind themselves of the clinical signs for ASF. Images and descriptions of clinical signs and pathology of ASF are provided here 

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleNew head of supply chain for Premier Nutrition
Next Article China in Your Hand?
Alistair Driver

Editor Pig World, group editor Agronomist and Arable Farmer and Farm Contractor. National Pig Association webmaster. Former political editor at Farmers Guardian. Occasional media pundit. Brought up on a Leicestershire farm. Works from a shed in his Oxfordshire garden.

Read Similar Stories

Reprieve for small abattoir sector as FSA decides to retain discount

June 18, 2025

GB pig prices for week ending June 14, 2025 – SPP stands still

June 18, 2025

National Pig Awards – recognising the huge contribution made by pig vets

June 18, 2025
Latest News

Reprieve for small abattoir sector as FSA decides to retain discount

June 18, 2025

GB pig prices for week ending June 14, 2025 – SPP stands still

June 18, 2025

National Pig Awards – recognising the huge contribution made by pig vets

June 18, 2025
Sponsored Content

THE GATEKEEPER OF RESPIRATORY HEALTH – MYCOPLASMA HYOPNEUMONIAE (M.HYO)

April 30, 2024

Tackle the root cause of PWD with free diagnostic tests

March 1, 2024
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Farrowing Manager

    • Suffolk
    • Blythburgh Pigs
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1752 Somerset

    • Somerset
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Senior Piggery Stockpersons – Ref 1751 Western Australia

    • Western Australia
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
GETTING IN TOUCH
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Meet The Editors
  • About Us
  • Email Newsletters
  • Subscribe
  • Reuse permissions
OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
PARTNER EVENTS
RELATED SITES
  • Farmers Weekly
  • Agronomist & Arable Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • National Pig Awards
  • Pigs Tomorrow
  • Poultry News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.