Swine fever vaccine on the agenda
20 February 2001
Swine fever vaccine on the agenda
By Alistair Driver
THE European Commission is considering increased use of vaccines against swine fever.
Vaccines are rarely used to tackle swine fever because of fears that vaccinated pigs may still harbour and spread infection while appearing healthy.
But the commission believes that vaccination might become more extensively used if the right sort of vaccines are available.
European Parliament rapporteur Encarnacion Redondo Jiminez is compiling the response of MEPs to the proposals.
Accompanied by Conservative MEP Struan Stevenson, she met MAFF officials and pig industry representatives on Tuesday (20 February).
Mrs Redondo told FARMERS WEEKLY she wanted to draw on the recent UK experience of swine fever to help find the way forward.
Key issues to be addressed include vaccination and controlling the disease in wild-boar populations, she said.
The commission was keen to ensure pigs only have to be slaughtered when it is “absolutely essential”, Mrs Redondo added.
Mr Stevenson said the desire to prevent huge numbers of pigs being slaughtered in outbreaks was behind moves to allow more extensive vaccination.
The UK outbreak affected just 15 farms but resulted in over 250,000 pigs being slaughtered. This, he said, was expensive for government and farmers alike.
New “marker” vaccines that elicit a different response to swine fever infection in pigs are currently in the process of authorisation.
The commission believes these may offer a cost-effective way of tackling outbreaks where there is a risk of further spread of the disease.
Mr Stevenson said alterations to swine-fever laws offered the last “window of opportunity” to change the rules on compensation for affected farmers.
“Changes are particularly important for farmers who have not had swine fever on their farms, but are caught up in movement restrictions,” he said.
National Pig Association producer group chairman Stewart Houston, said urgent action should be taken to slaughter nearby pigs when outbreaks occur.
- Swine fever vaccine – wild boar, FARMERS WEEKLY, 29 October, 1999
- Swine fever hits Germans again, FWi, 11 February, 1998