Following the first-ever detection of African swine fever in Ukraine, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN is warning that while control measures appear to have temporarily halted the disease's spread, it has established a firm foothold in the Caucasus and poses an ongoing risk to neighbouring areas.

“National and local authorities in the entire region should scale up their prevention measures and be ready to respond in case of further outbreaks,” said Juan Lubroth, FAO's Chief Veterinary Officer. “This could be the first of more outbreaks to come, according to our disease analyses.”

African swine fever (ASF) doesn't affect humans, but mortalities in domestic pigs can be extremely high.

Prior to being introduced to the Caucasus in 2007, it had been confined for several decades to the African continent and the Italian island of Sardinia. Today, however, it is considered endemic in parts of the Russian Federation and some countries in the Caucasus region, including Georgia and Armenia, says the statement on FAO website.