Cases of African swine fever (ASF) have been recorded in Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, according to a Monday posting on the State Service for Food Safety and Consumers' Rights Protection of Ukraine.

According to the chief department of the authority in Odesa region, on August 5 pigs died in private households of Ukrainians living in Bilyne and Hetmanivka of Odesa region. The examination of the selected samples of biological material diagnosed ASF.

On August 4, 2016, 11 samples of biological material taken from died pigs found on a landfill in Nova Odesa (Mykolaiv region) proved to have ASF virus DNA.

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.