STAVROPOL, October 23 (RIA Novosti) - An outbreak of African swine fever virus in south Russia's Stavropol Region has so far killed 115 pigs, the regional veterinary service said on Thursday.
The outbreak was reported on October 15 in the village of Gorkaya Balka at a farm containing over 6,000 pigs. Later tests confirmed the deaths were caused by the African swine fever virus.
Outbreaks of the highly contagious virus, which was first registered in 1903 in South Africa, are rare outside the region, but last spring Georgia, which borders Russia's North Caucasus republic of North Ossetia, saw outbreaks in 10 regions. A total of 20,000 pigs were culled
The virus does not pose a threat to humans.