The law enforcement activity continues to stop the spread of swine fever in Sardinia.

The Project Unit made up of the Forestry Corps, Forestas, Asl and Izs, in collaboration with the Nuoro police headquarters, slaughtered 65 pigs because they were not registered in the zootechnical registry , which roamed in fields owned by the state in Baunei and Urzulei , of the which it was not possible to trace the owner.

«These are - explains a note - animals without traceability and not subjected to health checks, destined for the illegal market of hams and delicatessen products, which therefore represent a high risk for the food safety of consumers, especially for the more frail, such as the elderly and children ".

"These depopulation activities - continues the Project Unit - are necessary and are part of the actions to combat the African swine fever virus, which see the illegal breeding of pigs as one of the most important risk factors for the permanence of the virus in those territories. It is now clear that this type of farms constituted the real transmission belt of the virus between the wild population and domestic animals".

The elimination of this phenomenon, now marginal and limited to a few cases in central Sardinia, is part of the recommendations of the recent Audit of the European Commission, to which the Project Unit must guarantee the resolution, a condition for the next hoped-for reclassification of the risk of the 'Island.

The appeal of the Region and the Project Unit is always addressed to the few who refuse to comply, especially in areas where the eradication of the virus could constitute an extraordinary driving force for the relaunch of the sector, in particular of quality delicatessen and the release of export. Some virtuous initiatives for the valorisation of pork-based products are already underway in those territories to prepare for the relaunch of the sector.

(Unioneonline/lf)

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