Finland has ordered all wildlife gates in its eastern border fence to remain closed after the country recorded its first cases of African swine fever in wild boars. The Finnish Border Guard said the measure applies to every section of the barrier currently in use along the border with Russia and will remain in force until further notice.
The decision extends restrictions already introduced in south-eastern Finland, where wildlife gates have remained closed since 1 August.
The gates form part of Finland’s eastern border barrier and normally provide crossing points for wild animals. Authorities have now closed them as part of efforts to limit the movement of wild boars following the detection of African swine fever, also known as ASF.
Finland confirmed the disease for the first time last week after laboratory tests on dead wild boar piglets found in Virolahti returned positive results.
Virolahti lies close to the Russian border in the south-east of the country. The discovery led authorities to introduce controls covering Virolahti, Miehikkälä and parts of Lappeenranta.
Finnish officials have considered the possibility that infected wild boars crossed into Finland from Russia, although authorities have not established the source of the outbreak.
The Finnish Food Authority established an infected zone around the affected area last week. Restrictions within the zone include limits on activities that risk disturbing wild boars or spreading contaminated material.
Authorities have imposed tighter rules within a core zone extending about three kilometres from the location where the first dead wild boars were found. Berry picking and mushroom picking are prohibited there, while people are also barred from exercising dogs in forest areas.
African swine fever spreads among domestic pigs and wild boars. The virus survives in carcasses and contaminated materials, which means movements involving animals, equipment, footwear or vehicles pose a risk of carrying infected material to another area.
The disease does not infect people.
More dead wild boars were found in Virolahti on Thursday, according to Finnish media reports. Samples are being taken from the animals for laboratory analysis to establish whether they were also infected with African swine fever.
HT