Published Date: 2007-10-21 14:00:09
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> African swine fever - Armenia (03)
Archive Number: 20071021.3430
AFRICAN SWINE FEVER - ARMENIA (03)
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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Thu 18 Oct 2007
Source: Panorama.am [edited]
<http://www.panorama.am/en/health/2007/10/18/chuma/>
FAO certifies existence of swine fever
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"The results of tests by the FAO organization of the United Nations
(World Food Program) are already in Armenia. According to early
diagnoses, swine fever exists in Armenia," Grisha Baghyan of the
Ministry of Agriculture said during an interview with a Panorama.am
journalist.
A 2-person group from FAO has arrived in Armenia. Laboratory workers
from the agriculture department have collaborated with this team. In
Baghyan's words, equipment and experts exist in Armenia, but tests
are needed for certifying the existence of the disease. Baghyan said
that the disease still hasn't been controlled in Tavoush and Lori
provinces. They have already slaughtered some 4800 sick animals.
Announced quarantines in these provinces are continuing. According to
2006 statistics, in Tavoush and Lori, there were 28 987 and 16 434
pigs, respectively.
The South Caucasus is now considered an area of swine flu infection.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
[On 29 Aug 2007, Armenia sent an immediate notification to the OIE
reporting 6 confirmed ASF outbreaks in the northern provinces Tavush
and Lori, bordering southern Georgia. Later, the media reported an
outbreak in the village Dzoravank, in the Geghak'unik' province,
south of Tavush; map at
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/commonwealth/armenia_pol_2002.jpg>.
The full OIE report with map is available at
<http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=6051>.
According to it, the total number of susceptible animals in the 6
locations was 2228, of which 657 died and 517 were destroyed.
Erroneously, the report stated that vaccination was permitted (no
vaccine against ASF is available).
No follow-up reports have been submitted.
Three countries/territories are known to have been affected, so far,
by the unfolding ASF epizootic in the Caucasus: Georgia, Abkhazia and
Armenia.
The epizootic maintains a potential for further spread into
neighboring countries: Russia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. - Mod.AS]