Ukraine's State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Rights Protection has reported that African swine fever (ASF) was diagnosed during the examination of the selected samples of biological material of the pigs in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kherson and Luhansk regions.

Since January 17 in private households of citizens in Balakliya (Kharkiv region), Sloviansk (Donetsk region), Ivanivka (Kherson region) and Novoaidar (Luhansk region) pigs have died.

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.