A UK wide exercise that simulates an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) will take place today (Thursday 22nd of July) to test the Government’s contingency plans to contain and eliminate the disease in the event that it reached the UK.
The exercise which is named “Exercise Holly” will see the Animal and Plant Health Agency, Defra, Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland working together to test and develop the UK’s contingency plan.
The exercise takes on extra significance this week as the virus has been detected in domestic pigs in Germany for the first time.
ASF is a highly contagious disease of pigs but there is no threat to human health. The disease has had a devastating impact on pig production in China and the Far East and is also moving from eastern Europe towards the west, it is now present in Belgium. The disease spreads from pig to pig but pigs can also be infected from contaminated pig meat products……
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