The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is ramping up its efforts to halt the spread of African swine fever (ASF) in Europe by expanding its campaign to nine additional countries. 

ASF is a viral disease that can affect domestic pigs and wild boar. It is harmless to humans but has caused significant economic disruptions in many countries. There are no vaccines available, so an outbreak can unfortunately prompt the slaughter of farm-kept pigs in affected areas.

In Summer 2020, EFSA launched its campaign to raise awareness of the disease in southeast Europe. The campaign was enacted in partnership with local authorities in countries that were of concern, due to their proximity to countries where ASF is present. These included Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia. 

EFSA is now extending its campaign to Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Estonia, Hungary, and Romania. This time around the campaign is primarily aimed at farmers. 

The campaign aims to complement the ongoing efforts of the European Commission and other international organizations that are working together to eradicate the disease in Europe.

The key messaging of the campaign is that because an ASF outbreak can have such devastating effects, detection, prevention, and reporting are essential if the disease is to be contained. 

Visit the campaign website here.