Georgia Says It Has Contained Swine-Fever Outbreak

(RFE/RL) June 14, 2007 -- Georgian officials say they have contained an outbreak of African swine fever, which has killed at least 30,000 pigs.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization said on June 8 that the outbreak could have potentially catastrophic economic consequences, and asked neighboring Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia to be on high alert.


The Georgian Agriculture Ministry says that measures taken by the authorities -- including isolating, disinfecting, and when necessary, killing pigs -- have successfully contained the outbreak.


There is no vaccine for African swine fever, which is often fatal among pigs but does not affect humans.


(AP)