African swine fever virus spotted in Slovakia

African swine fever virus (ASFV) has been diagnosed for the first time in Slovakia. The Agriculture Ministry reported on Thursday that a case had been confirmed in Strazne, south eastern Slovakia, near the border with Hungary. The ministry's press team stated that the virus presence had been confirmed by an examination of biological material at the national reference laboratory. Slovakia has reported the presence of the virus to the European Commission's Animal Disease Notification System (ADNS) and the World Organisation for Animal Health's (OIE) World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS). The Regional Veterinary and Food Administration in Trebisov ordered measures to liquidate the animals on the farm, demarcated a protection zone of three kilometers around it, and a surveillance zone of ten kilometers. Farmers in these zones will be subject to additional veterinary measures to prevent the spread of the disease. Both neighbouring countries, Hungary and the Czech Republic, have been struggling with the virus for quite some time. An outbreak in Hungary was confirmed near the Slovak border.