A new African swine fever (ASF) outbreak has been confirmed on Monday in western Poland on a farm with over 10,000 piglets near the village of Wieckowice near Poznan, an important centre of pig farming, according to The Guardian.
The animals were said to have been infected with the virus after the owner of the facility purchased a shipment of roughly 1,000 piglets in mid-March from the Niedoradz farm, as prior to the date, ASF had been confirmed there.
Local authorities reportedly said that the piglets in the Wieckowice farm would have to be culled, The Guardian reported. However, the eradication of the ASF outbreak might be slowed due to the social distancing measures imposed in Poland to slow the spread of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The ASF virus is fatal to pigs. It spreads directly between animals or through infected meat or animal feed.
China is currently facing widespread African swine fever, resulting in the killing of an estimated 40% of pigs in the country.