RIGA, Sept 1 (LETA) - The Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) has detected an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Baltic Pork farm with 20,000 pigs in Laubere rural territory of Ogre municipality, LETA was told at the PVD.

All pigs on the farm will be culled to curb the outbreak and prevent a further spread of the disease. This has been the eights ASF outbreak in domestic pigs.

A quarantine zone has been established around the ASF-affected pig farm. The PVD will intensify checks on the health status of pigs and compliance with biosecurity requirements on other farms in the area. The quarantine zone also includes restrictions on the movement of pigs and pig products.

The service stresses that wild boar pose the biggest threat to the health of domestic pigs. The wild boar population in Latvia has recovered rapidly and the virus is spreading extensively in young wild boars.

As reported, the ASF outbreak started in Latvia in June 2014 not far from the border with Belarus.

African swine fever is an extremely dangerous and contagious virus infection affecting pigs. If an infected pig is found in a farm, all pigs in the particular farm have to be culled, which means big losses for farmers.

Baltic Pork last year posted EUR 13.585 million in turnover, down 4.7 percent from a year ago, while the company's profit dropped 14.4 percent tp EUR 2.896 million.

Baltic Pork was registered in 2000 and has a share capital of EUR 2.505 million. The company belongs to Norwegian Mork Engebretsen Invest (71,57 percent) and SE Agro Holding (28,43 percent).