France deploys ARMY in ferocious battle against WILD BOAR amid swine flu outbreak

These rapid measures will provide “logistical support” and are tasked with culling wild boar in a border zone next to Belgium. The virulent swine disease was first confirmed in Belgium near the borders with Luxembourg and France in September 2018. However since then the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has reported 245 cases of the disease in the Luxembourg region this month.

The drastic move by French authorities were enforced after the disease had spread to just one kilometre from mainland France in recent days.

The Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume wrote on Twitter: “To cull rapidly wild boar in the ‘white zone’ and halt African swine fever, general mobilisation of hunters with the logistical support of the army.”

An APHA spokesman said: “There is now concern that ASF will spread into wild boar in France.”

Mr Guillaume told France 2 television that there were between 500 and 600 wild boar to be culled in the designated white zone and it would take two to three weeks.

A ministry spokesman confirmed Army personnel would assist by laying traps or rounding up boar for hunters to shoot, adding soldiers would not be firing.

The disease, harmless for humans, is often deadly for pigs, and outbreaks in eastern Europe and China have disrupted the pork industry there.

France plans to put up around 100 km (60 miles) of fencing around border areas in the northeast at a cost of several million euros.

No vaccination or treatment exist for the highly contagious virus.

Last year’s outbreak among wild boar in Belgium marked a sudden westward spread of the virus in Europe, raising the risk it would reach large pork-production countries like Germany, France and Spain.

Belgium has faced restrictions from importing countries on its pig meat exports, although African swine fever has yet to be detected on a pig farm.

source: express.co.uk