African Swine Fever: The Epidemic Devastating Farms in Serbia and Croatia
Have you heard about African Swine Fever (ASF)? If not, it’s time to get acquainted with this nightmare that has ravaged Serbia and is now spreading to Croatia. This disease is not dangerous to humans, but it’s a total disaster for pigs and farmers.
What is African Swine Fever? African Swine Fever is a viral disease that affects only pigs, both domestic and wild. The virus is incurable and deadly, spreading through direct contact, contaminated food, equipment, clothing, and animals. There is no vaccine or cure—only strict prevention measures and euthanasia of infected and potentially infected animals.
What’s happening in Serbia? In the last few days, six ASF outbreaks have been detected in Serbia, including in Crna Bara near Bogatić, where 212 pigs were euthanized. One farm alone lost 41 animals. Farmers are in panic as the disease spreads like wildfire, and the measures are harsh and relentless. Luka Milinčić from Crna Bara describes how his sow farm was wiped out, and he and his wife had to disinfect everything and lock down their yard.
Croatia is not spared either It’s not just Serbia facing this crisis. Croatia confirmed ASF in Baranja, famous for kulen production. The virus is deadly to pigs and causes huge economic losses due to animal deaths and export bans on pork. Croatia faces the same problems—no vaccine, the disease can last for years, and the only solution is euthanasia of all infected and potentially infected animals.
Economy and agriculture on the brink of collapse The infection brings massive financial losses. Besides the destruction of livestock, governments and farmers bear high costs for disease control measures. Export bans on pork further hit the economy. The virus is so dangerous that quick and ruthless action is necessary—every report of pig deaths is crucial to stop the spread.
What can citizens do? Veterinary inspections urge citizens to report every case of pig death and strictly follow preventive measures. Hiding cases only worsens the situation and spreads the disease. Farmers urge each other to be responsible and not to dump pig carcasses in nature, as this is a major source of virus spread.
Conclusion: A battle with no end in sight African Swine Fever is a nightmare for pig farmers in Serbia and Croatia. Without a vaccine or cure, the only weapons are prevention, strict control, and euthanasia. The disease can last for years and destroy entire farms and the region’s economy. If you think this is far from you, think again—the virus is already here, and your farm could be next.
Got a story about ASF or know someone fighting this disease? Drop a comment below. Let’s shake up this topic and see how we can help each other in this fight!
Sources:
- Blic.rs: 212 pigs euthanized due to African Swine Fever near Bogatić
- Kurir.hr: African Swine Fever appears in Croatia
