African swine fever found beyond Virolahti core zone

African swine fever has been detected in several-month-old wild boar remains outside the disease’s core zone in Virolahti, Yle reports.

The bones were found about 15 kilometres west of the current core zone, towards Hamina. The Finnish Food Authority said the remains were several months old and that the discovery does not indicate the disease is currently spreading actively.

The authority will reassess whether to expand the infection zone if fresher remains of wild boar infected with African swine fever are found outside the core zone.

The disease has so far been detected in Virolahti, Pyhtää, Miehikkälä and Lappeenranta. This week, positive results were also confirmed in Miehikkälä from a wild boar carcass estimated to be one to two weeks old, found in the core zone, and from a wild boar removed from the zone.

African swine fever was detected in Finland for the first time in late July. More than 50 cases have been found so far.