"The Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) decontamination of pigs causes no damage to either the country or to farmers, the level of contamination is only 10 percent at even the largest animal husbandry units and contaminated animals are slaughtered in the usual way, there is no forced culling", Endre Kardeván told Hungarian news agency MTI with regard to the fact that in his opinion several pieces of false information had appeared in the media recently with regard to the PRRS decontamination programme.

The Ministry of Rural Development's Minister of State for Food Chain Supervision and Agricultural Administration, and the country's Chief Veterinarian, stressed that although Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome causes significant economic damage, the meat of the contaminated animals is not dangerous and is fully fit for human consumption.

The level of contamination of the largest pig farms is around 10 percent, which is much less than the 30-50 percent level mentioned in several press reports. The level of contamination in small units, those of private individuals, is even lower, around 3-5 percent. Mr. Kardeván also pointed out that the level of contamination in the seven counties in which PRRS decontamination has begun is even lower still, at less than one percent. There are only one or two large pig farms in each county, meaning decontamination can be performed extremely quickly.

The sector suffers no damage as a result of the decontamination process, and in fact pig farmers profit from it, because agricultural units that have been decontaminated achieve level 4 infection-free status, as a result of which the unit's pig stocks become more valuable and animals can be sold from a better market position.

The country's Chief Veterinarian also mentioned that animals would be brought in from infection-free units to compensate for animals lost during decontamination. Infected animals are slaughtered under normal conditions, meaning there is no forced culling or similar.

The disease was first discovered in the United States in 1987, first reaching Europe three years later in Germany and Holland.

The Ministry of Rural Development's Deputy State Secretary for Food Chain Supervision and Agricultural Administration Lajos Bognár previously told MTI that PRRS is a viral infection that primarily causes reproductive problems in breeding sows and respiratory symptoms in young animals. The virus only infects domesticated pigs and wild boars and does not pose a danger to humans.

The illness causes significant damage, primarily in view of the fact that sick animals eat more feed and fewer piglets are successfully weaned, meaning animal husbandry becomes more expensive.

The objective of the PRRS decontamination programme, which extends to six counties, Nógrád, Heves, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, Vas, Zala and Somogy, is to replace all infected animal stocks during the course of this year so that these counties become free of infection, meaning they could be declared PRRS-free as early as 2015.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)