African swine fever warning signs go up in Virolahti

Warning signs for African swine fever are being installed in the disease’s core zone in Virolahti, Yle reports. The Finnish Food Authority put up the first signs on Wednesday, nearly a month after restrictions were introduced.

The signs are being placed at locations selected in cooperation with local residents. Initially, smaller signs will be installed along minor roads, while larger signs for main roads are still being prepared, said Terhi Laaksonen, a department director at the Finnish Food Authority.

The restriction zone was established on July 30 and expanded on August 14. Laaksonen said designing and ordering the warning signs had taken time.

A total of 100 of the signs now being installed have been ordered, with larger signs to follow. Walking in the terrain, picking mushrooms and gathering berries are among the activities banned in the core zone.

African swine fever has so far been detected in 35 dead wild boar in the core zone, the Finnish Food Authority said on Thursday. Three additional cases were found in Virolahti on Wednesday. The authority no longer reports new cases individually because further infections are expected to be found in the core zone.

A wildlife fence has been planned around the core zone to prevent animals from moving in and out. Construction cannot begin until infections outside the core zone have been investigated sufficiently. The Finnish Food Authority estimates that building the fence would take several months.