Azerbaijan, Baku, 4 April / Trend corr. S.Babayeva / Special Emergency Commission of epizootic diseases in the Gabala region of Azerbaijan has completed its assessment of the compensation offered in the Nij village for the mass destruction of pigs due to the African fever virus, Ismayil Hasanov, the Head of State-owned Veterinary Service at the Agriculture Ministry of Azerbaijan, stated. The compensation sum totals AZN 1,266mln.
"The act developed by the Commission was submitted to the Finance Ministry and compansention is expected to be paid in the near future," Hasanov said. The residents of the village will be compensated under the order of the Government to recoup the damages they incurred due to the virus.
The State Veterinary Service at the Azerbaijani Agricultural Ministry placed Nij village under quarantine on 28 January due to the African swine fever virus which was reported for the first time in Azerbaijan. The quarantine was lifted on 28 March. Up to now, 4,863 pigs have been destroyed. The residents of the village will be able to continue farming after one year.
The African swine fever (ASF) is an expanding devastating viral disease currently threatening the pig industry worldwide. The virus is an icosahedral cytoplasmic deoxyribovirus (ICDV) of the Asfarviridae family. It is an arbovirus (transmitted by ticks) and is the only arbovirus that contains DNA. Wild pigs of Africa, mainly the warthog and bushpig, are the original vertebrate hosts of ASF. Domestic pigs are infected by ticks ( Ornithodoros moubata) or by direct contact with wild pigs. Transstadial and transovarian infections occur in ticks. Recently, ASF caused high morbidity and mortality in domestic pigs in Nigeria and other West African countries previously known to be free of the disease. No protective vaccination has been discovered; hence, a slaughter policy with adequate compensation, strict quarantine of pigs and their products at borders are necessary to stop the current outbreaks of ASF in Africa, particularly in West Africa.
Pig-breeding is developed in Gabala, Zagatala, Shaki, Balakan and Ganja regions and districts of Baku.
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