European experts hold simulation exercise for swine fever in Moldova

Chisinau, 11 April /MOLDPRES/ - A national-level simulation exercise for African swine fever virus (ASFV) in wild boars has been recently organized by the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA), in cooperation with the Moldsilva Agency. The action was backed by a group of experts of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).    

The exercise was held on the territory of the Silva-Centru enterprise from the western Ungheni district. “The goal of the exercise was to improve capacities as to fighting infectious diseases in wild animals, localize and monitor hotbeds, by testing and assessing the efficiency of the contingency plan,” a press officer at the Moldsilva Forestry Agency, Viorica Caciuc, has told MOLDPRES.   

The working agenda included the theoretical part, in which participants discussed the epidemiology and measures of control of the African swine fever virus in boars, epidemiology and clinic signs of the disease, epidemiological situation as to ASFV in Europe, measures in the case of suspicion and confirmation of ASFV in boars, which are provided for in the contingency plans from Moldova, disinfection procedures.    

The practical part was focused on the simulation of a case of African swine fever virus in boars in the wood, taking into account the notification of the disease, collection of samples, packing and shipment for examination in laboratory, destruction of the carcass. “The knowledge and materials, accumulated within the exercise will be subsequently brought to the notice of the employees of the forestry entities subordinated to the Agency,” Caciuc noted.     

At the end of the event, the European experts planted trees in a wood in Ungheni, in order to mark the cooperation with specialists from Moldova.

(Reporter L. Grubii, editor L. Alcaza)