The devastating pig disease African swine fever (ASF) is now on the border with France in the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, thus bringing the disease ever closer to the UK.
This has prompted pig producers to demand that the UK Government implement strict import checks to prevent ASF coming to Britain. Despite original assurances after Brexit, such checks have now been delayed four times by the UK Government.
Read more: Beware of spreading African Swine Fever!
Worryingly, the latest outbreak meant that it had 'jumped' 500km from known disease cases in wild boar. Blame is now being put on human movement and transmission, as opposed to wildlife spreading the disease.
ASF can now be found in Germany, Belgium, Romania, and Poland. The disease has a global spread with millions of pigs already culled in China and Vietnam and more recent reports of disease in sub-Saharan Africa.
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