Warning issued as African swine fever 'may soon' reach UK due to illegal pork imports

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A leaked government report has raised fears over the imminent threat of African swine fever, a highly contagious and deadly disease.

The spread of the disease could severely impact British farming and may soon reach the UK primarily due to the illegal importation of pork meat. The concern centres around the smuggling of potentially contaminated pork through the port of Dover, a situation worsened by changes in border controls following Brexit.

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The Metro reported that officials are increasingly worried about the scale of this illicit trade, which has been difficult to monitor and control. Lucy Manzano, head of port health and public protection at Dover District Council, underscored the grave consequences if the disease reaches the UK. She said: "If it lands here it will result in UK culling programmes and export bans. It will absolutely have devastating consequences for our pig farmers, wild pig community and reputation."

Since border checks began in September 2022, an alarming 60 tonnes of illegal pork meat have been intercepted, according to reports from Birmingham Live. A UK Government spokesperson responded to the threat by saying: "African swine fever is a disease that affects pigs and not humans. Preventing an outbreak in the UK remains one of our key biosecurity priorities and we have published extensive information and guidance about the disease."

A leaked government report has raised alarms about the imminent threat of African swine fever, a highly contagious and deadly disease that could severely impact British farmingA leaked government report has raised alarms about the imminent threat of African swine fever, a highly contagious and deadly disease that could severely impact British farming
A leaked government report has raised alarms about the imminent threat of African swine fever, a highly contagious and deadly disease that could severely impact British farming | AFP via Getty Images

The spokesperson added that they work closely with Port Health Authorities and Border Force to enforce strict border controls. As an additional safeguard, new sanitary and phytosanitary checks on food and agricultural imports from the EU were introduced on April 30.

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These measures, according to ministers, are intended to enhance the detection of pests and diseases and strengthen biosecurity at the UK's borders. Lord Trees, a professor of veterinary parasitology, said these checks would "reduce the likelihood" of importing infectious diseases like African swine fever, which poses a "potential threat to the UK pig population."

Key symptoms to monitor in pigs include fever, loss of appetite, lethargy, and sudden, unexplained death. Other signs of concern include vomiting, diarrhoea, red or darkened skin, especially on the ears and snout, eye and nose discharges, difficulty breathing, coughing, miscarriages in pregnant sows, general weakness, and unsteady movements.