The veterinarians of the ASL of Nuoro promote an activity to prevent the spread of some animal diseases that affect pigs such as wild boars and above all.
A few days after the opening of wild boar hunting in Sardinia, on Sunday 6 November, the Nuorese ASL asks for the collaboration of the area hunters to carry out an activity to prevent the spread of African swine fever and trichinellosis, diseases that could be transmitted precisely among ungulates.
The alarm comes in fact from the territories of the province of Nuoro such as Orgosolo, Dorgali, Oliena, Desulo, Tonara, Aritzo and Belvì, where some wild boars have tested positive for swine fever virus.
Although African swine fever does not pose a danger to humans, in order to avoid the possible spread of the infection among animals, in the areas of Nuoro already reported it will be possible to hunt only in derogation with specific authorization, as required by a specific decree of last September 5th.
Furthermore, authorized hunters will have the obligation to submit the slaughtered animals to the appropriate analyzes before slaughter: in particular, the blood, spleen and diaphragm of the killed animals will have to be analyzed; hunters are required to keep the carcasses until the health checks are completed.
The authorization for hunting in derogation will be issued by the veterinary service of the ASL, subject to authorization from the Forestry Corps, to hunting teams that will present an appropriate request to the veterinary service.
The director of the animal health service of the Nuoro ASL, Antonio Straullu, explained, "The cooperation of the hunters is of fundamental importance for the success of the sampling and the achievement of the minimum number of samples to be taken, equal to at least 96 checked wild boars ".
Furthermore, Straullu concludes, "If the goal is not achieved, the infected area cannot be revoked and, therefore, the hunting ban will remain ".