Sweden applies to be declared free of African swine fever

Sweden says it has put African swine fever behind it, one year after the appearance of the disease in the country.

The Swedish Board of Agriculture, or Jordbruksverket, announced on Friday that an intensive control programme had been successful.

A formal application has now been submitted to the European Commission so that Sweden can be officially declared free of the disease at the end of September.

The declaration would allow the Swedish authorities to lift the infection zone and all remaining restrictions.

African swine fever is a contagious viral infection that affects wild and domestic pigs and usually leads to their death within a week.

The disease cannot be transmitted to humans.

Sweden’s first case was detected on Sept. 6, 2023 in a wild boar discovered near the town of Fagersta, around 150 kilometres north-west of Stockholm.

A comprehensive campaign was launched to combat the disease, with the agricultural authority incurring costs totalling the equivalent of almost 10 million euro (11 million dollars).

A total of 70 infected wild boars are discovered in the affected area and 116 were euthanised to prevent infection.

The Swedish authorities says no infected wild boar have died from the disease in the country since the end of September 2023.