Early warning status
In Veneto it was an early warning regarding the possible diffusion of the African swine fever. The announcement comes from CIA-Agricoltori Italiani Veneto, in the light of a meeting on the subject that was held in recent days together with the Prevention, Food and Veterinary Safety Directorate of the Region, the veterinary services of the Ulss and agricultural organizations. “Coordination has been initiated between the health authorities and the agricultural organizations themselves -underlines Cia Veneto-. Until now, no cases of infection have been detected in our region. However, the guard must be kept high in order to avoid any type of risk ".
Pig farms
According to the numbers of the National Data Bank (which allows the traceability of cattle throughout the country), there are 5 registered pig farms in Veneto; of these, 4 up to 4 heads, 500 from 4 to 50 heads, and another 500 over 50 heads. "At this moment biosecurity must be strengthened, in particular by means of special fencing of the farms -adds Cia Veneto- In the potentially infected area, the law provides for the instantaneous slaughter of all the heads of family farms". As regards swine fever, it is a disease for which, at the moment, there is no vaccine: it can be transmitted between wild boars and pigs (there is no danger to humans). “The whole Veneto area, and above all the area of the Euganean Hills Park, the Belluno area and Lessinia, is potentially affected due to the presence of thousands of ungulates - specifies the president of Cia Veneto, Gianmichele Passarini-. We need to carry on continuously the containment of these animals through the action of authorized selecontrollers ". Not only. Cia Veneto recalls that "an ad hoc protocol has been signed between the regional administration and agricultural organizations for the capture of wild boar with cages, manhole covers, traps and mobile fences in the network". Today African swine fever is present in nearby Croatia and in Italian regions such as Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria, Basilicata, Campania and Calabria.
Meat checks
“The latest ordinance of the national PSA commissioner, Vincenzo Caputo, imposes stringent controls on pork and wild boar meat, the monitoring of ungulates and, precisely, the strengthening of biosecurity in pig farms - Passarini clarifies -. If this disease were to spread, millions of healthy pigs, mainly intended for the production of PDO Parma and San Daniele hams, would have to be culled prematurely. This would cause enormous damage - he concludes - and in some cases permanent damage to the national delicatessen chain. This is why we must not be caught unprepared for a possible spread of PSA in our region". (Source CIA)