Has the Spread of African Swine Fever in the European Union Been Impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic?

Jun 03, 2022

Abstract: Has the Spread of African Swine Fever in the European Union Been Impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic?

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, listed as notifiable by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). It causes substantial economic losses to pig farming in the affected countries, with consequent enormous damage to livestock production due to mortality of the animals, and to the restrictions on national and international trade in pigs and derivative products that the presence of the infection implies. To prevent or reduce the risk of ASF introduction, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the OIE recommend preventive and control measures, such as the ban of live swine and their products traded from ASF-affected to ASF-free countries or zones. The current spread of ASF into Europe poses a serious risk to the industrialized and small-scale pig sector, as demonstrated by observed cases in different EU areas. In this paper the authors discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ASF, and the indirect effects including the impact on animal health and disease management.

Click here to see more...

Video: How Millions of Dairy Cows Are Raised & Processed – Inside Advanced Dairy Farming Technology

Step into the modern world of dairy farming, where cutting-edge machines and precision technology revolutionize the way milk is produced. Across vast farms, automated milking systems, robotic feeders, and data sensors ensure the highest efficiency in dairy farming. Farmers monitor every cow’s health, nutrition, and milk quality through advanced software, making dairy farming both sustainable and productive. Inside clean, high-tech facilities, fresh milk is collected, cooled, and processed for global markets. This transformation of dairy farming highlights how innovation meets tradition, providing millions of liters of pure milk daily. Today, dairy farming stands as a symbol of smart agriculture and modern food production.