African swine fever outbreak triggers surveillance in Ialoveni
A ten-kilometer surveillance zone has been established around six localities in the Ialoveni district.
This follows the confirmation of a case of African Swine Fever (ASF) in wild boars within the forest near Zloți village, Cimișlia district. The measure was deemed necessary to prevent the spread of the disease and to intensify sanitary-veterinary controls in the region.
While officials have acted to contain the virus, many residents claim they were uninformed about the situation and believe authorities should intervene more decisively.
"I haven't heard of this disease being here. People vaccinate against these diseases, and there haven't been any cases," said one local.
"They need to either cure them or destroy them," insisted another.
"Those in charge need to do something. What can I do from here? What is a villager supposed to do?" asked a concerned resident.
"No, I haven't heard, because there aren't even pigs left in Cărbuna anymore. They need to keep the cattle safe, treat them. Kill them? Slaughter them? Burn them?" wondered another local, expressing confusion over potential culling measures.
Impact on Local Farmers
The Buhaciuc family from Cărbuna village, Ialoveni district, has been raising pigs for over five years. They state they have never faced livestock losses due to swine fever.
"We buy small piglets from households and raise them in natural, homemade conditions. We bought them in September, and we are happy with the results so far. Inspections were carried out; they came by, saw that everything was fine, and told us that if anything happens, we should give them a call. It involves burning and burying [the animals] because it is dangerous. God forbid, we could get sick too, because we can't eat the meat in such a case," explained Elena Buhaciuc, a resident of Cărbuna.
Official Measures and Restrictions
In Cărbuna, at most ten households currently raise pigs. Local authorities have implemented a series of measures to combat the risks associated with African Swine Fever.
"Some of the measures include: a ban on selling meat within the village territory without verification from the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA), and a ban on slaughtering pigs for the next 30 days. Last year, Cărbuna was actually in a quarantine zone when cases were detected in Răzeni village. There will be inspections by ANSA, as well as police checks of transport vehicles and households where animals are kept," declared Constantin Cecoi, the mayor of Cărbuna.
Background and Scope
The African Swine Fever virus was detected in the "Silvico-Cinegetică Cimișlia" forestry fund, with confirmation obtained by the National Food Safety Agency on November 18.
The surveillance zone includes the localities of Puhoi, Văratic, Mileștii Noi, Cigârleni, Cărbuna, and Răzeni commune. Mobile teams are currently inspecting the area to identify any wild boar carcasses.
Concurrently, an evaluation of wild boars in forestry enclosures within the affected area will be conducted to prevent the virus from spreading further. Authorities urge residents to strictly follow specialist recommendations and to report any pig deaths immediately.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
