Veterinary service
Around 500 hunters, hunting guards, tutors and sort controllers participated in the various meetings during 2022 whose theme was African swine fever. The meetings, promoted by the Province, CIA, Coldiretti, Ambiti Territoriali di caccia (ATCVC 1-2), the Alpine District, the Ticino Park Authority and Lake Maggiore, were held by the Veterinary Service of the ASL of Vercelli which involved several veterinarians for a total of seven meetings held in various locations in the Lower Vercelli area and Valsesia. “The disease, which is not transmitted to humans, – explains Daniele Masiero, head of Area A-Animal Health of the ASL Veterinary Service – was detected in wild boars in the province of Alessandria and in Liguria as well as in the Lazio Region.
Huge economic damage
Due to its high contagiousness and the high resistance of the virus that transmits it, it could enter pig farms and cause high economic damage due to the death of the animals and the blocking of the export of pork not only for Piedmont but for the whole nation”. “African swine fever also spreads through the ingestion of contaminated pork and it is therefore very important not to leave food waste in the environment, nor to administer food waste to pigs and wild boars – underlines Masiero.
Wild boar carcasses
The purpose of the courses was to learn more about the disease and to deepen the operational methods of intervention both for the killing of animals during hunting and the behavior to adopt in the event of the discovery of wild boar carcasses on which the PSA test is required in order to be able to detect the disease as early as possible and therefore limit the epidemic". Given the importance of the subject and the need to make the disease and the measures to stem it known, the veterinary service of the Vercelli ASL is available for any information that may be necessary not only for hunters but also for all people who need it. need.