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 The causes of the infections found in a closed hunting area in
Budakeszi, west of the Hungarian capital, were not immediately clear
and an investigation was under way, the authority said.
Around ten European Union countries are currently affected by
African swine fever, with particularly bad outbreaks in Bulgaria and
its neighbor Romania. Slovakia was affected by the disease in four
backyard farms as of July.
The disease, which is incurable in pigs, is harmless to humans.
In total, Hungary had found nearly 900 cases of African swine fever
in wild boar since April 2018 according to figures published on the
authority's website.
Nebih said it had received dozens of samples from the affected area
near Budapest and Hungary's chief veterinarian had ordered the
slaughter of all wild boar in the area where the five cases were
confirmed.
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It said several foreigners visited the area over the past weeks who
arrived from countries infected with African swine fever, but also
said the source might be an infection from inside Hungary.
Nebih called on pig farmers to maintain the necessary precautionary
measures to prevent the spread of the infection to livestock.
(Reporting by Gergely Szakacs. Editing by Jane Merriman)
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