Ukraine's State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Rights Protection in the past several days received confirmation of African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks recorded in Kherson, Zaporizhia and Donetsk regions.

According to a posting on the authority's website, since February 27 pigs have died in private households of citizens in Vysokopillia (Kherson region), Petromykhailivka (Zaporizhia region) and Dmytrivka (Donetsk region).

ASF was diagnosed during the examination of the selected samples of biological material of the pigs.

Measures are being taken to localize the disease on the site of the outbreak and prevent the spread of ASF pathogens.

The ASF virus is the causative agent of ASF. The virus causes a hemorrhagic fever with high mortality rates in pigs, but persistently infects its natural hosts, warthogs, bush pigs and soft ticks of the Ornithodoros genus, without any visible symptoms. There is currently no vaccine against ASF.