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Finland has recorded its first cases of African swine fever (ASF) after the disease was detected in dead wild boars in the southeast of the country.
The Finnish Food Authority said on Friday that preliminary tests confirmed the virus in wild boars in Virolahti, near the Russian border.
The agency said the first case was identified on July 30, marking the first time ASF has been detected in Finland.
“This is the first time that the disease has been detected in Finland,” it said.
Authorities have established an infection zone covering Virolahti and nearby areas, although the agency did not disclose the total number of confirmed cases.
The discovery was made after a local resident found the carcasses of three dead wild boars and alerted the food authority.
African swine fever is not harmful to humans but is a highly contagious viral disease that can be fatal to domestic and wild pigs, with mortality rates approaching 100 per cent.
