Serbia says nearly 30,000 pigs died or were culled in African swine fever outbreaks

Serbia's agriculture ministry said nearly 30,000 pigs have died or been culled in recent weeks after several outbreaks of African swine fever.

Agriculture Minister Dragan Glamocic told a parliamentary committee that about 29,200 pigs had been culled or had died because of the virus during the latest episode. Serbia has about 2.2 million pigs on its farms and regularly faces episodes of the virus.

The ministry said the main outbreaks are in the northwestern regions of Srem and Macva, as well as in the Belgrade region. More than 50 villages are affected. It said its absolute priority is to contain the spread of the virus in Macva, a region with nearly 300,000 pigs.

African swine fever is harmless to humans. It is a viral hemorrhagic disease with a mortality rate close to 100 percent in pigs and wild boar.

Neighbouring Croatia is also facing African swine fever. Official figures cited in the report say more than 3,700 animals have been culled there since the beginning of the year.