Pigs slaughtered to prevent spread of African virus

A mobile animal slaughter unit carried out the slaughter of approximately twenty pigs in the village of Strážne in the Košice region, near the border with Hungary, in order to prevent the spread of the African swine fever virus (ASFV), the TASR news agency learnt on Tuesday. There should be no pigs left in Strážne after Tuesday's preventive-safety measures. The animals were slaughtered using electric current, and their carcasses were safely removed. The pigs' blood was collected and sent to a laboratory for further testing, according to the animal health inspector of the Regional Veterinary and Food Administration in Trebišov, Michal Bodrog. The Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry announced on Thursday (July 25) that the African swine fever virus had been diagnosed for the first time in Slovakia.