ASF introduction to the UK is still considered to be medium

The risk of ASF introduction to the UK was raised to low in August 2017. This was because, despite the relatively low level of legal trade in live pigs or commercially produced pig products, there could be a risk from the fomite pathway involving movement of people and vehicles from affected Eastern EU countries and there was evidence of contaminated/infected non-EU origin pig products being detected in the EU.

With the number of outbreaks of ASF being reported in Eastern Europe in August 2018, and subsequent detection of ASF in wild boar in Belgium in September 2018, the risk to the UK was elevated to medium. Despite the spread of ASF to China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong and North Korea, the current risk of ASF introduction to the UK is still considered to be medium, although the situation is being kept under review and depends on how ASF spreads both within China and across other parts of south-east Asia.

DEFRA would like to highlight to all pig keepers and the public to ensure that:

• pigs are not fed catering waste, kitchen scraps or pork products, thereby observing the swill feeding ban
• all pig keepers should be aware that visitors to their premises should not have had recent contact with pigs and pig premises in the affected regions
• anybody returning from any ASF-affected area should avoid contact with domestic pigs, whether commercial holdingsor smallholdings, areas with feral pigs or wild boar, until they are confident they have no contaminated clothing, footwear or equipment
• pig keepers and veterinarians should remind themselves of the clinical signs for ASF
• any suspect cases must be reported promptly