RIGA, July 25 (LETA) - This year's third outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in domestic pigs has been reported on a farm with 55 pigs in Iecava municipality, LETA was told at the Food and Veterinary Service.

The veterinary service is carrying out containment measures and an epidemiological inquiry on the affected farm. All pigs on the farm will be culled to curb the outbreak and prevent a further spread of the infection.

A quarantine zone has been established around the ASF-affected pig farm. The Food and Veterinary Service will intensify checks on the health status of pigs and compliance with biosecurity requirements on other farms in the area. Movement of pigs and pig products has been restricted in the quarantine zone.

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.

So far this year, ASF has been found in 908 wild boars in 137 parishes of 26 municipalities of Latvia.

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.