Finnish Customs Boosts Fight Against African Swine Flu Amid Financial Threat To Farms

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th August, 2019) The Finnish customs agency said on Tuesday it was going to step up efforts to combat African swine fever as its spread may lead to significant financial losses, amounting to several tens of millions of Euros, to the country's pig farms and meat industry.

"The spread of the African swine fever poses a great financial threat, amounting to several tens of millions of euros, to pig farming and the meat industry in Finland. Travelers have an important role in the combating of African swine fever and other animal diseases, since the viruses can spread through foodstuffs ... To enhance the control, Customs is building a comprehensive information system for the entire eastern border and most important airports," the press release read.

The agency said it was also going to place a trained food detector dog at Helsinki Airport because of the spreading of the African swine fever to Asia in recent years and a great number of people traveling from Asia to Finland.

Swine flu (subtype H1N1 of influenza A virus) is common among pigs. Transmission of the virus from animals to humans is not common and does not always lead to human flu, often resulting instead in the production of antibodies only. However, when it does develop in humans, it carries a higher risk of fatality than the common flu.