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. 2022 May 4;20(5):e07290. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2022.7290
New developments of the epidemic in the reporting period

ASF still persists in a wild boar population in the western part of Latvia, where it could be considered as a frontline of the infection, as most of PCR‐positive cases in wild boar are detected there. In July 2021, one ASF outbreak was also confirmed in a commercial farm with 2000 pigs in the same area.

After few years of having mostly seropositive results in wild boar (very few active infections detected) in the eastern part of Latvia (Oļševskis et al., 2020), several PCR‐positive wild boar (in both hunted and found dead) were detected, starting from June 2021 in bordering areas with Russian Federation and Belarus. Considering the high number of new PCR‐positive cases in wild boar in a short period (few weeks), these are most likely to be re‐introductions of ASFV in an area that started to recover gradually since 2019. These re‐introductions have caused further ASF spread in the local wild boar population and just few weeks after first detections of PCR‐positive wild boars, ASF was confirmed in a small backyard farm in the same area.

Specific prevention and control measures implemented during the reporting period None.
Epidemiological investigations in infected farms during the reporting period
Two outbreaks have occurred during the reporting period:
  • On both outbreak farms, crops attractive for wild boar were grown nearby the farm (< 1.5 km)
  • On both outbreak farms, there were woodlands observed near the farm (1.5 km)
  • For none of the outbreak farms, there were dead wild boar found nearby
  • the farm (1.5 km)
  • For none of the outbreak farms, there were new pigs introduced on the farms
  • For none of the outbreak farms, there was home slaughter carried out
  • For none of the outbreak farms, swill feeding was carried out
  • On both outbreak farms, there were cereals or forage used cultivated in ASF‐infected areas
  • For none of the outbreak farms, there were breaches in compliance with bans on free‐range breeding