site.bta24 out of 400+ Wild Boar Samples Test Positive for African Swine Fever, Oct. 1-7

Since the beginning of the hunting season for group hunting of wild boar on October 1 and until October 7, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) laboratories tested more than 400 samples for African swine fever virus (ASFV). Out of those, 24 tested positive.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 3,400 samples have detected 360 wild boars infected with ASFV.

The affected administrative regions are Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Haskovo, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Shumen, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia City, Sofia Region, Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Yambol, and Ruse.

As of early 2022, 5,523 cases of the disease have been confirmed among the wild boar population in the EU.

The BFSA notes that laboratory testing for ASFV after wild boar hunting is mandatory. The Agency also checks the samples for trichinosis.