CSF, and its equally nasty cousin, African swine fever , is a worldwide scourge for pigs and their keepers. The last outbreak of CSV in Britain was 14 years ago. Transmission of the disease is complex, but careless husbandry is high on the list of causes. There is no cure for swine fever.
Affected herds have to be slaughtered.
On the large-scale European farms, that can be devastating . In Britain, pig farming is already in deep crisis. The National Farmers Union recently conducted a detailed survey of its pig farming members, with some surprisingly upbeat results. But then the pig sector remains part of the general agricultural recession . Unlike some rather dreary modern agri-business sectors, pigs can still arouse passionate enthusiasm.