Experts divided over cause of African swine fever outbreak in Serbia
Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Experts are divided on the cause of the African swine fever outbreak in Serbia, which has led to the culling of 30,000 pigs this year.
- Some experts blame state authorities for mismanagement.
- Others point to pig farmers' practices as the primary reason for the disease's spread.
Serbian livestock experts are split over the reasons behind the devastating African swine fever outbreak that has ravaged the country's pig population. The highly contagious disease has forced the culling of approximately 30,000 pigs this year alone, causing significant economic losses.
One faction of experts attributes the widespread infection to governmental failures. They argue that inadequate state-level biosecurity measures and a lack of effective control strategies have allowed the virus to spread unchecked. This perspective places the blame squarely on the authorities responsible for managing animal health crises.
Conversely, another group of specialists contends that the primary responsibility lies with individual pig farmers. They highlight alleged breaches of biosecurity protocols on farms, improper waste disposal, and insufficient preventative measures as the main drivers of the epidemic. This viewpoint suggests that a lack of diligence at the farm level has exacerbated the situation, despite any efforts by the state.
Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.