African Swine Fever Outbreak Contained in Varna, Bulgaria

A case of African swine fever (ASF) was confirmed on 7 August in a farm of 42 pigs in the village of Grozdovo, Dolni Chiflik municipality, Varna Province, Bulgaria. The farmer reported increased mortality and promptly alerted veterinary authorities. The Bulgarian Agency for Food Safety (BABH) and veterinary teams established a 3‑kilometre protection zone around the farm and a 10‑kilometre surveillance zone covering nearby villages in the municipalities of Dolni Chiflik, Avren, Dalgopol and Provadia.

Measures included intensive on‑site work, sampling, cleaning and repeated disinfection, and a full epizootic investigation tracing pig movements for the preceding 35 days. Minister of Agriculture and Food Plamen Abrovski announced that the situation was “under control” and said, “Thank God, there is no transmission of the disease beyond the farms where it was found.” He also stressed that ASF poses no danger to human health, affecting only domestic and wild pigs and representing a significant economic threat to the sector.

As of the latest briefing, no further cases have been detected in surrounding farms or wild boar populations, and the outbreak remains contained.