ISTANBUL — Swiss authorities have warned that the risk of African swine fever spreading into the country remains high, driven by ongoing outbreaks among wild boar populations across parts of Europe.
The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office said transmission of the virus to domestic pig herds is possible at any time in areas where infected wild boars are present, according to Swiss media reports.
Officials urged travelers to avoid bringing pork or wild boar meat into Switzerland from affected regions, and advised hunters to carefully disinfect clothing, footwear, vehicles and equipment before crossing borders to reduce the risk of contamination.
The agency also warned that the African swine fever virus is highly resilient and can survive for long periods in blood, meat products and animal carcasses, increasing the likelihood of accidental spread.
Pig farmers were instructed to immediately report any unusual symptoms in livestock to veterinary services to enable rapid response and containment.
As part of its national surveillance program, Switzerland has been testing dead and sick wild boars for early detection of the disease. So far, all 25 tested animals have returned negative results.
The warning follows a renewed outbreak detected in Italy in April, reversing earlier improvements in controlling infections among domestic pigs in Europe.
Swiss officials also pointed to recent detections in Saxony as a setback in regional efforts to contain the highly contagious animal disease.
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