Published Date: 2009-10-27 17:00:04
Subject: PRO/EDR> African swine fever - Russia (11): (LN, RO) OIE, FAO
Archive Number: 20091027.3720

AFRICAN SWINE FEVER - RUSSIA (11): (LENINGRAD, ROSTOV) OIE, FAO
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[1] FAO
[2] Leningrad: OIE
[3] Rostov: OIE

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[1] FAO
Date: Mon 26 Oct 2009
Source: Pig Progress.Net [edited]
<http://www.pigprogress.net/news/fao-concerned-about-spread-of-asf-in-russia-3560.html>


FAO concerned about spread of ASF in Russia
-------------------------------------------
Worst fears of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) experts have
been confirmed now African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed in
North-Western Russia as well.

Last week, on 20 Oct 2009, it was confirmed that the disease jumped
2000 km [approx 1200 mi] from southern Russia to St Petersburg [in
Leningrad Oblast]. FAO experts who have been tracking the virus in
Georgia and neighbouring countries for several years, had been afraid
this would happen.

The danger is that ASF -- which can not be transmitted to humans --
could spread to other regions including the European Union countries,
Eastern Europe, the Black Sea basin countries and -- in the worst
case scenario -- central Asia and even China, which has the largest
pig population in the world.

"Although we have known that the virus has been circulating in the
Caucasus -- in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan -- for several years
now, eventually spreading to southern Russia, it is its sudden
appearance far away near the Baltic coast that is worrying," said
Juan Lubroth, FAO's chief veterinary officer.

The virus shows both progressive local spread and also that it can be
transported over wider geographic areas through the movement of
infected swine or contaminated pork products.

"The Baltic Republics together with the Ukraine, Belarus, Moldavia,
Romania, and Bulgaria are directly threatened," said Lubroth. "That
means there could be possible incursions into the EU and also it
could spread across Russia, including eastwards into Siberia and
perhaps eventually China."

Although Moslem populations do not consume pork, Iran, Turkey, and
central Asia could form a transit point for the virus because of
relatively large numbers of wild boar in these areas. The clinical
signs of ASF are very similar to classical swine fever (CSF) virus
and the 2 diseases have to be differentiated by specialised
diagnostic laboratories.

"In the light of this outbreak, FAO is advising countries to be
vigilant and roll out their early detection and response plans," said
Lubroth. Earlier this year [2009], FAO's Emergency Prevention System
in animal health matters provided regional training courses for
veterinary authorities in Ukraine and Belarus.

ASF is believed to have entered into the Caucasus through the Black
Sea port of Poti, Georgia, where garbage from a ship was taken to a
local dump where pigs would come to feed.

Contaminated pig swill -- remainders of food, including a pork scrap
that is then fed to swine -- has also been implicated as a conduit
for outbreaks in swine populations in the past.

In a sub-Saharan context the virus is spread through transmission in
warthogs and other wild pig species and can be transmitted by a
particular type of tick.

Local spread can occur from direct contact between pigs, and direct
transmission is a growing problem. ASF existed for decades in the
Iberian Peninsula until it was eliminated in the late 1990s.

A very limited focus of the infection is still present in the Italian
island of Sardinia. In the 1960s through the 1980s, ASF outbreaks
were reported in several European and Caribbean countries and Brazil.

There is currently no vaccine against ASF. FAO calls for a renewed
effort by laboratories in the US, Europe, and the Russian Federation
to develop an effective vaccine against ASF. The disease is usually
eradicated by the culling of infected animals and strict movement
control.

Improved hygiene in production and feeding practices are useful in
preventing the introduction of the disease in piggeries and swine
holdings.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
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******
[2] Leningrad: OIE
Date: Tue 20 Oct 2009
Source: OIE, WAHID (World Animal Health Information Database), weekly
disease information 2009; 22(43) [summ. & edited]
<http://www.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=8547>


African swine fever, Russia
---------------------------
Information received on (and dated) 20 Oct 2009 from Dr Nicolay
Vlasov, CVO, Veterinary services, Ministry of Agriculture and Food,
Moscow, Russia

Summary
Report type: follow-up report No. 5
Start date: 11 Sep 2009
Date of 1st confirmation of the event: 16 Sep 2009
Report date: 20 Oct 2009
Date submitted to OIE: 20 Oct 2009
Reason for notification: reoccurrence of a listed disease
Date of previous occurrence: 1 Jun 2009
Manifestation of disease: clinical disease
Causal agent: African swine fever virus
Nature of diagnosis: laboratory (advanced), necropsy
This event pertains to a defined zone within the country

New outbreaks
Summary of outbreaks:
Total outbreaks: 1
Outbreak 1: Settlement Mga, Kirovsky, [Leningrad Oblast]
Date of start of the outbreak: 1 Oct 2009
Outbreak status: continuing (or date resolved not provided)
Epidemiological unit: village
Affected animals
Species / Susceptible / Cases / Deaths / Destroyed / Slaughtered
Swine / 14 / 8 / 7 / 7 / 0

Epidemiology
Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection: introduction from
the South Federal district to the Northwest Federal district

Epidemiological comments: in one of the holdings of the settlement
Mga the pigs were sampled because of the African swine fever
suspicion. The laboratory confirmed the diagnosis. An investigation
for African swine fever in all the pigs of the private sector in the
settlement Mga was implemented. Shooting and investigation of wild
boars were also carried out within Kirovsky district. The result of
the pathological material investigation was negative. The whole
population of pigs in the holding was destroyed.

Diagnostic test results
Laboratory name and type: Federal Scientific Institution, All-Russia
Scientific Institute of Veterinary Virology and Microbiology, Pokrov
(national laboratory)
Tests and results
Species / Test / Test date / Result
Swine / direct immunofluorescence (DIF) test / 14 Oct 2009 / Positive
Swine / polymerase chain reaction (PCR) / 14 Oct 2009 / Positive

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[Leningrad Oblast is bordered by Finland in the northwest, Estonia in
the west, as well as 5 federal subjects of Russia: Republic of
Karelia in the northeast, Vologda Oblast in the east, Novgorod Oblast
in the south, Pskov Oblast in the southwest, and the federal city of
Saint Petersburg on the west. For maps see
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Russia_-_Leningrad_Oblast_(2008-03).svg>
and
<http://healthmap.org/r/00XS>. - Mod.AS]

******
[3] Rostov: OIE
Date: Fri 23 Oct 2009
Source: OIE, WAHID (World Animal Health Information Database), weekly
disease information 2009; 22(44) [summ. & edited]
<http://www.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=8562>

African swine fever, Russia
---------------------------
Information received on (and dated) 23 Oct 2009 from Dr Nicolay
Vlasov, CVO, Veterinary services, Ministry of Agriculture and Food,
Moscow, Russia

Summary
Report type: follow-up report No. 6
[Details on start of outbreak, etc.: see item [2] above]

New outbreaks
[A total of 5 outbreaks are reported, all in Rostov Oblast.
The locations are:
1: Gukovo town, Krasnosulinsky
2. Hamlet Vlasov, Morozovsky
3. Remontnoe, Remontnensky
4. Hamlet Gruzinov, Morozovsky
5. Bogoyavlenskaya, Konstantinovsky
Summary of outbreaks:
Total outbreaks: 5
Total animals affected
Species / Susceptible / Cases / Deaths / Destroyed / Slaughtered
Swine / 353 / 10 / 10 / 346 / 0

Epidemiology
Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection: under investigation

Diagnostic test results
Laboratory name and type: Federal Scientific Institution, All-Russia
Scientific Institute of Veterinary Virology and Microbiology, Pokrov
(national laboratory)
Tests and results
Species / Test / Test date / Result
Swine / direct immunofluorescence (DIF) test / 5 Oct 2009 / Positive
Swine / direct immunofluorescence (DIF) test / 22 Oct 2009 / Positive
Swine / polymerase chain reaction (PCR) / 05 Oct 2009 / Positive
Swine / polymerase chain reaction (PCR) / 22 Oct 2009 / Positive

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Rostov Oblast borders Ukraine. It also borders Volgograd and
Voronezh Oblasts in the north. Lastly, it borders Krasnodar and
Stavropol Krais in the south, as well as the Republic of Kalmykia in
the east. For maps see
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Russia_-_Rostov_Oblast_(2008-03).svg>
and
<http://healthmap.org/r/007e>.

A summary of the immediate notification (25 Sep 2009) and the 6
follow-up reports (30 Sep, 6,13,15,20, and 23 Oct 2009), including a
map showing the respective locations of the 20 outbreaks in Russia
involving domestic and wild porcines since 11 Sep 2009, are available
at
<http://www.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=event_summary&reportid=8462>.

The concern expressed in item [1] above by Dr Juan Lubroth, FAO's
chief veterinary officer, is certainly fully justified and should be
shared by European and Asian countries. - Mod.AS]

See Also

African swine fever - Russia (10): (KV), susp., RFI 20091020.3611
African swine fever - Russia (09): (KL), Ukraine avoids 20091017.3569
African swine fever - Russia (07): (DA, RO) 20091009.3494
African swine fever - Russia (06): (DA), OIE 20090926.3371
African swine fever - Russia (05): (RO) 20090410.1376
African swine fever - Russia (04): (STA) 20090328.1203
African swine fever - Russia (03): (STA) 20090319.1102
African swine fever - Russia (02): (STA,KDA) 20090117.0192
African swine fever - Russia: (STA) 20090113.0139
2008
----
African swine fever - Russia (10): (KDA, IN), OIE, (STA) 20081114.3596
African swine fever - Russia (09): (STA), clarification 20081104.3475
African swine fever - Russia (08): (STA), stamping out 20081030.3418
African swine fever - Russia (07): (Stavropol) OIE 20081025.3372
2007
----
African swine fever - Georgia, Armenia: FAO 20071004.3275
African swine fever - Armenia (05) 20071231.4195
African swine fever - Armenia (04): (Ararat) 20071213.4013
African swine fever - Armenia (03) 20071021.3430
African swine fever - Georgia, Armenia: FAO 20071004.3275
African swine fever - Armenia (02) 20070922.3150
African swine fever - Georgia (11): SDC mission report 20070920.3131
African swine fever - Georgia (10): Abkhazia Auton. Rep. 20070821.2737
African swine fever - Georgia (09): OIE 20070820.2724
African swine fever - Georgia (08) 20070817.2689
African swine fever - Georgia (07): EC/FAO/OIE 20070627.2066
African swine fever - Georgia (06) 20070615.1954
African swine fever - Georgia (05) 20070611.1901
African swine fever - Georgia (04): FAO 20070610.1891
African swine fever - Georgia (03): genotype 20070609.1886
African swine fever - Georgia (02): OIE 20070608.1860
African swine fever - Georgia: OIE 20070607.1845
...................................arn/mj/lm

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