Switzerland will use dogs to detect African swine fever in pigs
The first batch of dogs capable of detecting African swine fever (ASF) in farmed pigs will be operational by autumn.
The specialist hounds are currently being trained in the northeastern Swiss canton of Thurgau that borders Germany. Outbreaks of the disease have recently occurred in northern Italy and Germany.
The Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs assumes that there is a high risk that ASF will arrive in Switzerland, the canton of Thurgau said in a statement on Friday. ASF is a viral epizootic disease that is fatal for domestic and wild pigs, but not dangerous to humans.
In pigs, the disease almost always leads to death within a few days. Initially, the animals show symptoms such as fever and listless behaviour. There is no vaccine or treatment option.
ASF is highly contagious. Transmission occurs through direct contact between infected animals via body fluids, but also through the consumption of contaminated food waste or pork products. Even contaminated vehicles, equipment or clothing transmit the virus to animals.
The economic consequences of such an epidemic would be considerable for local agriculture. For this reason, the Thurgau cantonal veterinary office set up a specialised team in 2021 to prepare for an African swine fever epidemic.
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