According to a press release sent to the Meat.Milk editorial team, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is collaborating with the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) in Romania in 2023 as part of the European campaign to support the fight against African Swine Fever (ASF).

Now in its fourth year, the #StopASF campaign aims to increase awareness among farmers, hunters, and veterinarians in eighteen European countries, including Romania, about this highly contagious disease and encourages them to take measures to stop its spread.

"In the past decade, African Swine Fever has had a dramatic impact on the European pig farming sector and continues to negatively affect local and regional economies. The latest data shows encouraging signs that efforts to halt the virus's spread may be effective. However, at the European level, there is room for improvement, and we need to remain vigilant. Farmers, hunters, and veterinarians play a particularly important role in reporting suspected cases," said Bernhard Url, Executive Director of EFSA.

The #StopASF campaign encourages farmers, veterinarians, and hunters to "detect, prevent, and report" possible cases of ASF in both domestic and wild pigs (wild boars). The initiative is carried out in partnership with national authorities in eighteen countries and is supported by the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority in Romania.

"To combat African Swine Fever, it is necessary for all competent authorities at the national level to get involved and collaborate in implementing the measures undertaken. It is essential that our efforts are supported by farmers, veterinarians, and hunters, who are the main groups that come into contact with domestic and wild pigs and are directly affected by the disease," stated Alexandru Bociu, President of ANSVSA.

In 2022, the number of ASF outbreaks in domestic and wild pig populations significantly decreased in countries such as Romania, Poland, and Bulgaria compared to the previous year, according to a new report published by EFSA today. However, ASF has reappeared in Greece and the Czech Republic and continues to spread in neighboring EU countries such as Serbia and Moldova. It has also been detected in North Macedonia for the first time in 2022.

For more information, visit the EFSA ASF campaign website, where you will find fact sheets, infographics, a social media toolkit, and other materials.

As a EU agency, EFSA complies with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, which has the same legal value as the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) applicable in EU Member States and aligns with the GDPR rules and principles regarding the protection of personal data.