Europe’s top agriculture official on Tuesday urged EU member states to prepare tougher measures to contain the spread of African swine fever after the latest outbreak in Belgium. EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan welcomed Belgium’s decision to quarantine a region where wild boar have died of the virus — and to preemptively slaughter up to 4,000 domestic pigs. But, speaking to reporters after a meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Austria, Hogan recalled that the outbreak had begun in eastern Europe and that nine member states have been hit so far. We need everybody’s cooperation in the member states,” he said. Thus far, nine Belgian boar have been found dead from the virus, in the south of the country.

Source: Egypt Independent September 25, 2018 14:26 UTC