Lithuania to charge drivers for truck disinfection at Belarusian border


Drivers of all trucks crossing the Lithuanian border from Belarus should be charged a fee for having their vehicle sprayed with a disinfectant. Until today the neighbouring country has beared all the disinfection expenses; but the funds allocated have apparently run low.

According to Lithuania`s BNS news agency, the fee is expected to amount to 25 litas ($9.65).

There are no grounds yet to declare a state of emergency in Lithuania in connection with the spread of African swine fever “because if such a decision is made, Lithuania may be banned from exporting foodstuffs to other countries,” Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius was quoted as saying.

At their meeting on July 29, 2013 the representatives of vet services of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland concurred in the view that a fence along the Belarusian border was badly needed necessary to prevent wild boars that might carry the disease from entering Lithuania. The officials also discussed the prospective establishment of a buffer zone and disinfection equipment.

The Lithuanian State Food and Veterinary Service is banking on the European Commission support hoping to receive €13.5 million. Latvia and Poland are also seeking aid from the EU to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease from Belarus.

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African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the causative agent of African swine fever (ASF). The virus causes a haemorrhagic fever with high mortality rates in pigs. ASF does not pose a threat to life and health of people. Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia introduced a temporary ban on shipments of pigs and pig meat from Belarus. The European Union expressed concern over spreading the disease in our country.

Belsat

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