Disease

Parrot Disease - Sweden

Swedish public health authorities, Folkhalsomyndigheten, is reporting an outbreak of psittacosis, or parrot disease, since November 2018. According to officials, some 60 cases have been reported from the regions of Västra Götaland, Kalmar, Jönköping and Skåne. This is the highest number of cases reported in one winter in two decades.

African Swine Fever - China

Reports are emerging that many outbreaks of African Swine Fever on Chinese farms are not being reported to the authorities. Many farms where outbreaks occur are selling on unaffected pigs, spreading the disease further. Other farms simply lack the capability to test for the disease. The large 10 000 plus swine producing units are not reporting disease outbreaks because it would have a detrimental effect on their share prices. Poor provinces are also under-reporting outbreaks because they lack the funds to compensate farmers for culled animals. It has been suggested that most large pig farms are infected. At present it seems unlikely that the authorities will manage to bring the outbreak under control.