Penza, 13 January 2012. PenzaNews. Two veterinary stations were organized in the Penza region near the border with the Saratov region to prevent a possible outbreak of the African pig plague virus.

As the press service of the Department of Rosselkhoznadzor (Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) for the Penza region stated in an interview with news agency PenzaNews, specialists of the department of veterinary control together with police and veterinary service officials were conducting examinations of transport at those stations.

“The veterinary stations will remain on duty 24 hours a day until all necessary procedures are completed to eliminate the breeding ground for the African pig plague in the Saratov region,” stressed the press service.

As Chief State Veterinary Inspector for Penza and Zarechny Mikhail Ivanov said, damage from a possible outbreak of the virus in the region could total over 550 million rubles.

“To prevent the virus spreading to the Penza region it is necessary to follow a number of simple rules, in particular, to vaccinate pigs against classic pig plague, to keep animals closed in premises and not to give them feed that has not been thermally treated,” he explained.