The outbreak of classical swine fever in eastern Croatia, the first in the Balkans country since 2003, has turned into an epidemic, a minister said Saturday.
"We are doing everything possible to prevent the (swine fever) virus spreading to other parts of Croatia," Agriculture Minister Petar Cobankovic told the HINA news agency.
The presence of swine fever was confirmed earlier this month at three breeding sites in the region of the eastern town of Vukovar.
So far a total of 264 pigs which were either infected or suspected to have caught the disease were slaughtered to prevent its spread.
In 21 of 550 family farms which have been inspected so far the presence of the swine fever virus has been confirmed.
Swine fever is a highly contagious disease which is passed on through excrement or saliva. It does not affect other animal species or people.
