Estonian agencies: Culling the only way to handle animals infected with ASF

TALLINN - The Estonian Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, the Agriculture and Food Board, the Center for Laboratory Research and Risk Assessment (LABRIS), and Vireen AS, a company that disposes of animal carcasses, issued a joint public address on Friday afternoon, stressing that pigs infected with African swine fever (ASF) must be culled, and warned everyone against gathering near locations of ASF outbreaks.

"For more than a month, ASF, a particularly dangerous animal disease, has once again been spreading in Estonian pig farms and causing damage. The virus is spreading more extensively among wild boars, and pigs in several farms have been found to be infected. The situation is difficult for the entire pig farming sector, food producers, and employees involved in controlling the disease," the agencies said in their public address.

The agencies stressed that animals infected or suspected of being infected with ASF must be culled, as the goal is to protect domestic pig farming and the food production sector.

"Unfortunately, there is no alternative way to control the virus. Moreover, in such situations, the Agriculture and Food Board does not have the authority to make a different decision. Even the discovery of a single infected pig means that all pigs in the same farm are considered potential virus carriers, as the virus can remain infectious in feces, soil, and on wood, metal, and stone surfaces for up to six months, and under favorable conditions, even for 18 months," the authorities noted.

In the appeal, they asked for understanding from everyone and urged residents not to gather near outbreak sites.

"The task being carried out is difficult and complex, and the timing of the response and ensuring the safety of the procedures are critically important. Therefore, maintaining a calm working environment in the outbreak area is essential," they stressed.

"We confirm that the analysis results from the Center for Laboratory Research and Risk Assessment, which is independent of the Agriculture and Food Board, are reliable. The analytical methods used by LABRIS are accredited, and the competence and work organization of its employees have been highly rated at the European Union level," the agencies wrote in their appeal. They confirmed that all disease control actions are carried out in a way that prevents the virus from spreading to other farms.

It is not possible to prevent ASF as there is no effective and safe vaccine. ASF is also not curable. The entire international biosecurity and control policy for ASF is based on the assumption that the virus will persist in the herd. The measures for controlling the disease are uniform and consistent throughout the European Union.

Due to the ASF outbreaks that devastated Estonian pig farming in 2015-2017, 2021, 2023, and 2025, the economic damage related to these outbreaks has exceeded 14.5 million euros, involving a total of 35 cases and approximately 72,000 pigs.

The signatories emphasized that in the current outbreak situation, all pig farmers must be consistent and uncompromising in the daily implementation of established biosecurity measures to prevent the ASF virus from entering their farms. To limit the spread of the virus in the wild, additional measures are being planned to help control the wild boar population and keep them away from farms.