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Voluntary - Public

Date: 6/5/2019

GAIN Report Number:

Poland

Post: Warsaw

Largest Outbreak of ASF on a Polish Farm Since 2014

Report Categories: Sanitary/Phytosanitary/Food Safety Approved By: Jonn Slette, Agricultural Attaché Prepared By: Piotr Rucinski, Agricultural Specialist

Report Highlights: On May 30, 2019, ’s General Veterinary Inspectorate (GVI) announced an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) on an 8,000-pig farm in northeastern Poland. The affected farm is located within the ASF restricted zone. This marks the largest single-farm outbreak since 2014. Veterinary authorities immediately implemented control measures, euthanized all pigs on the farm, and established protected and surveillance zones around the farm and in the area.

General Information:

On May 30, 2019, Poland’s Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) announced an ASF outbreak on a large pig farm near Wolka Wygonowska, Orla Township, and Bielsko County in the . The affected farm had over 8,000 pigs, making it Poland’s largest commercial farm ASF outbreak since the disease was first detected in 2014. Laboratory tests conducted on May 29, 2019, in the National Reference Laboratory in Pulawy confirmed the ASF virus. The farm is located in Poland’s northeastern restricted zone as defined in Part II of the Annex to Commission Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU.

Immediately after confirming ASF, the GVI implemented procedures to eradicate the disease. According to the CVO, veterinary authorities began to euthanize the pigs on the farm as of May 31, 2019. Carcasses were transported to a rendering plant under strict GVI and police control.

On May 31, 2019, the Governor of the Podlaskie Voivodeship issued Regulation No 1/2019 regarding the control of ASF in Bielsko County and Hajnow Township (Journal of Laws of the Podlaskie Voivodeship, item 3030). The regulation introduces a temporary ban on moving pigs between farms in the vicinity. It also defines the protection zones at a radius of three kilometers around the outbreak site, and includes the towns of Kruche, , Wolka Wygonowska, and in Bielsko County. It also defines the surveillance zone at a radius of seven kilometers around the protected area which includes the following villages:

In Bielsko County:  Orla Township: Reduta, Koszele, Orla, , Malinniki Kolonia, , Paszkowszczyzna, , Topczykały, , Gredele-Kolonia, , , and ,  Township: Kozly, Mokre, Dubiazyn, Podbiele, and Rajki,  Bocki Township: Nurzec, Szeszyly, Moloczki, Sniezki, Pasieka, and Krasna Wies.

In Hajnowka County:  Township: , , Dasz, Krosna, Zuki, , Kleszczele, , Saki, Zaleszany, and ,  Dubicze Cerkiewne Township: Jelonka and Rutka.

According to the Deputy CVO of the Podlaskie Voivodeship, the symptoms of the disease were quickly noticed and properly diagnosed by local veterinary authorities. Recently, piglets from the affected farm were sold for fattening to two farms located in the voivodeships of Podlaskie and Lubelskie. The Deputy Provincial CVO confirmed that veterinary authorities inspected these two farms and to date, have not detected ASF. Veterinary service collected blood samples from animals on these two farms for analysis.

Two ASF-positive wild boars were located about 20 kilometers from the farm in mid-February 2019. The most recent cases of ASF in wild boars confirmed in Podlaskie Voivodeship were recorded in mid- May 2019.