African swine fever spreads to 11 more wild boar in Virolahti

Eleven additional cases of African swine fever have been found in dead wild boar in Virolahti, southeastern Finland, Yle reported. The positive results came from animals found on Friday, and restrictions in the area will be tightened.

The wild boar were discovered during searches partly outside the previously defined core zone, about one kilometre north of its boundary. Five cases were found inside the core zone and six outside it.

The core zone will therefore be expanded. People are not allowed to enter forests within the zone, and the Finnish Food Authority is asking berry pickers, mushroom gatherers and others moving outdoors to avoid the area even before the expanded zone is precisely defined and a map is published.

The Food Authority has also tested many wild boar samples from outside the infection zone, including samples submitted by hunters. All of those samples have tested negative for African swine fever.

About 400 volunteer hunters have been trained to search for dead wild boar. Systematic searches will continue in the infection zone until all cases have been found and enough negative samples have been collected. All dead wild boar and their parts found in the field are collected, and samples are sent to the Food Authority’s laboratory for testing.

Wild boar may be hunted year-round, except for females and piglets, which may not be hunted from March through the end of July.