Just A Heads Up

[wymberley]

Attention all NGO Members

 

African swine fever - This disease is spreading in Europe and there is a higher risk of it reaching the UK as it has now reached Belgium on the border with France.

 

The disease doesn’t affect people but it’s fatal to pigs & would seriously damage our pork and pig export market.

 

The most likely means of pigs in the UK becoming infected is from eating infected pork brought back from Europe by someone who has bought local produce (i.e. pork or wild boar products) or something as simple as a ham sandwich. The disease can also be spread on clothing, boots and on vehicles.

 

We’re working to identify the different audiences to share communications with (pig keepers and vets are the obvious ones) but we’re also sharing messages with people who take part in hunting sports who may travel to Europe to hunt and return to the UK.

In particular we want to ask hunters to avoid bringing back pork and pork products from trips to Europe, to avoid contact with wild boar and to thoroughly clean their equipment before they return.

 

 

 

Kind Regards

 

NGO

Edited November 27, 2018 by wymberley

[Walker570]

A VERY GOOD HEADS UP.    Is it transmitted via processed pork products...eg Danish bacon, Parma ham etc.?

Visitors for hunting boar should be very vigilant about cleaning boots in particular and of course knives and keep clear of any dead animals even though it is tempting to get up close and personal for photos. 

This is far more serious than ash die back which I believe was again brought in by imports of ash from the Continent.

[wymberley]

In the same vein, the regular trichinella survey is running at the moment. If you shoot fox regularly, it's not a bad idea to help out by getting in touch with APHA at Sandy Hutton and Julia Coates on 01904 406602 and collection of the carcasses will be arranged (some years back it would have been by me in this neck of the woods).