The interdepartmental commission is alarmed with the threat of the African hog cholera

The African hog cholera is seizing new and new territories. This dangerous virus already penetrated to the territory of Kalmykia and Volgograd region. According to information of the Russian Agency for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision the hog cholera is moving in the direction to the central regions of Russia at a speed 600 kilometers per year. It means in 2012 it can reach Bashkiria. But the problem can arise much earlier. The virus propagates itself like a shot and just for several days it is able to kill great livestock of pigs and thereby destroy the pig farming in the region de facto.

The hog cholera isn’t dangerous for people but deadly dangerous for pigs and the scientists haven’t yet learned how to struggle with it. The lethality reaches 98-100% and no efficient vaccine exists. Only protective measures are still efficient.

The Minister of agriculture RB Azat Ziganshin has held the meeting of the interdepartmental commission on prevention of the hog cholera virus penetration in the Republican territory. Specialists of the profiled ministries and heads of big pig farms were invited too.

The head of the Veterinary Dept RB Vakil Buranbaev indicated the main ways of the hog cholera spreading. Transport communication is the main threat here. The cattle is delivered for Bashkiria from other Russian regions along the federal highways and now we need total control over the incoming freights as well as the special post because pigs as well as any other cattle are purchased without any control now.

Wild boars can be also the hog cholera spreaders; moreover the substantial increase of their number is recently registered in Bashkiria. According to information of the Ministry of nature management and ecology RB before 1978 our region wasn’t their natural habitat. But in 2007 there were about five thousand wild boars in the Republic and by 2009 this number was doubled! At present time there are about 11 thousand wild boars, registered in the Bashkir forests. This tendency is quite favorable but it can become dangerous.

The third way of possible penetration of the hog cholera is the food and cattle markets and here permanent control is necessary too.

Azat Ziganshin has stated that only joint actions of law-enforcement, veterinary, supervision and other bodies are able to put the barrier on the way of this dangerous virus and the pig farmers mustn’t relax their vigilance too.