Azerbaijan, Baku, 23 May / Trend corr. S.Babayeva / The residents of the Nij vilage of Azerbaijani Gabala region received compensation for mass distruction of pigs due to spread of African swine fever infection amongst them, Ismat Abbasov, Agriculture Minister of Azerbaijan, stated on 23 May.
"All the necessary documents were submitted to the Executive Power of the region," the Minister said.
The mass destruction of pigs was carried out in Nij village to prevent the virus. Until now, 4,100 pigs out of a total of 4,750 have been destroyed.
The State Veterinary Service at the Azerbaijani Agricultural Ministry has placed Nij village under quarantine due to the African swine fever virus, reported for the first time in Azerbaijan.
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.
In 2007, the African swine fever was revealed in Georgia and Armenia. The prohibition by Azerbaijani Government imposed on swine import from Georgia, from 7 June onwards, is still in force. Azerbaijan has no economic relations with Armenia due to the Nagorno-Karabakh territorial conflicts.
Pig-breeding is carried out in Gabala, Zagatala, Shaki, Balakan and Ganja regions and districts of Baku.
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