African swine fever zone expands significantly after infected wild boar found in Pyhtää

The infection zone for African swine fever in Finland has expanded considerably following the discovery of the disease in a dead wild boar in Pyhtää's Hirvikoski. This finding is approximately 40 kilometers from the previous boundary of the infected area, as reported by the Finnish Food Authority.

The affected wild boar was an adult found in a field. The newly designated part of the infection zone now encompasses the entirety of the municipalities of Kotka, Hamina, and Pyhtää. Additionally, it includes sections of Loviisa, Lapinjärvi, and Kouvola that lie south of a specific boundary. This boundary runs east-west from the Gulf of Finland along the Koskenkylä river to the Porvoo motorway (E18), then along national road 6 to Elimäki, continuing as Elimäentie (regional road 354) to Inkeroinen, and finally following the railway line to the Kotka border.

Currently, the restrictions applied to this new zone primarily concern pigs, wild boars, and their derived products such as meat and cells. Hunting is prohibited, and there are also bans on feeding wild animals. Restrictions on entering natural areas are not yet in effect, but more specific regulations for the new zone are expected to be decided next week.

This is not the first detection of African swine fever in Finland this summer. Previously, the disease was confirmed in Virolahti in southeastern Finland, leading to restrictions in Virolahti, Miehikkälä, and parts of Lappeenranta. The virus causes symptoms like bleeding and fever in pigs but does not transmit to humans.

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The finding is about 40 kilometers from the border of the previous infection zone.