Finland records first African swine fever cases

HELSINKI - Food health authorities in Finland said on July 31 the country has detected its first cases of African swine fever, in a number of dead wild boars.Harmless to humans, the disease is a viral hemorrhagic disease with a mortality rate close to 100 per cent in pigs and boars.Preliminary tests have confirmed African swine fever (ASF) in wild boars in Virolahti, in the south-east of the country near the border with Russia, the Finnish Food Authority said.“This is the first time that the disease has been detected in Finland,” it said.The first case was identified on July 30, it continued in a statement that did not say how many cases have been tallied.The agency has defined an infection zone around Virolahti and nearby zones.The bodies of three dead boars were found by a local resident, who contacted the food authority. AFP