Infected wild boar? Poland speaks of new "sabotage from the east"
Local Radio Łódź reported that the carcass of a wild boar was found near the Luciąża River in the Rozprza commune, close to Piotrków Trybunalski in Poland. Tests confirmed the animal was infected with African Swine Fever (ASF).
Veterinary examinations have already confirmed the presence of the virus. Within a five-kilometer radius of where the infected animal was found, there are 58 farms housing more than 7,000 pigs.
Pig farmer Janusz Terka told Farmer.pl that the boar was likely planted, citing the incomplete and skinned state of the carcass.
[context]African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs, with a near 100% fatality rate. Its main danger lies in the absence of vaccines or specific treatment, leading to massive economic losses in agriculture due to mandatory culling in outbreak areas and strict quarantine measures. The virus does not pose a threat to humans.[/context]
The agriculture minister of the neighboring country, Stefan Krajewski, has already commented on the situation, stating he was informed of the threat «from the very beginning.» The official suggested that responsibility for the diseased animal could lie with eastern neighbors, without specifying which ones. The area where the animal carcass was found is far from the borders with Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.
https://x.com/StefanKrajewski/status/1996335182400651635
«I immediately ordered the services to take action and secure the area. We do not rule out sabotage, including from the east. We are defending the Polish countryside and will not allow the deliberate spread of the virus. We are taking action!» the minister wrote on X.
«If new wild boar carcasses testing positive for the ASF virus are discovered, restriction zones for farmers will be introduced. For now, however, we are awaiting further results,» warned Michał Tokarski, deputy mayor of Piotrków County, in turn.