Finland сloses border gates over swine fever risk

Authorities in Finland have tightened restrictions along the border with Russia after detecting cases of African swine fever in wild boars near the frontier.

The Finnish Border Guard said on August 1 that hunting gates embedded in the barrier fence in the southeastern border district had been closed as a precautionary measure.

The decision follows the discovery of dead wild boar piglets in the border area, which tested positive for the virus, according to public broadcaster Yle. Finnish experts believe the infection may have spread from Russia.

In response, the Finnish Food Authority imposed a series of restrictions aimed at containing the outbreak. These include bans on hunting, logging activities and walking domestic dogs in the affected border zone.

Additional measures prohibit the picking of berries and mushrooms within a three-kilometre radius of the site where the infected animals were found.

African swine fever, while harmless to humans, is highly contagious among pigs and can have severe economic consequences for agriculture, prompting swift containment efforts by authorities.

By Tamilla Hasanova