African swine fever outbreaks affect farms in Bosnia and Serbia

A case of African swine fever was confirmed on a family farm in the village of Gradac, near Bijeljina in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the first detection since 8 January 2024. The Republic’s Ministry of Agriculture announced that all prescribed control measures – including epidemiological investigation, heightened field monitoring, culling of infected animals and disinfection – have been activated. Officials warned that illegal transport of pigs remains a major risk.

Farmers recalled the 2023 epidemic that wiped out more than 50,000 pigs in the Semberija region, describing the new case as a “shock” that could jeopardise the fragile recovery of the sector.

In nearby Serbia, the virus was also confirmed in the village of Provo, municipality of Šabac. Over 50 households have been affected; about 500 pigs were culled and one‑third of the pens are now empty. Local authorities have deployed specialised trucks, deep burial of carcasses, extensive disinfection and a ban on the movement and sale of pigs from the affected area. Compensation is being offered for culled animals marked with ear tags. Both ministries emphasized that the virus is still present in the environment and urged strict bio‑security compliance.