This is how they protect themselves from the virus

There is an actor who, with the reappearance of African swine fever (ASF) last week after more than 30 years, it has become essential to prevent the spread of this viral disease that preys on wild boars and pigs: the transporters of live animals. From the Spanish Confederation of Goods Transport (CETM) Live Animals, its general secretary Pedro Martínez, highlights ’20 Minutes’ that they are already carrying out “a work of awareness” among the group of transporters, as well as the sending of two diptychs with measures and recommendations such as “clean and disinfect thoroughly after each trip as already established by national regulations”, the use of special disposable clothing or “avoid stops in the middle of a trip.”

Strengthen precautions

Everything is little to prevent ASF from entering a farm and unleashing a real storm in the sector, since if a single contagion is located on a farm All animals must be sacrificed with the corresponding economic and emotional impact. The general secretary of CETM Animales Vivos places emphasis on the cleaning and disinfection tasks of each truck, but also “in the integrity of the animals” and regrets that the transporter is penalized for this, “when there have been cases of ranchers who have tried to transport unsuitable animals to us.”

Transport associations such as CETM also recommend storing industrial vehicles in warehouses rather than parking them outdoors and, if this is not possible, Disinfect it before starting the trip. In addition to checking the fence to make sure that no wild animals have entered. At the time of load and unload They advise making sure that no external agent has come into contact with the truck (an animal, for example) and, above all, before loading, check the condition of the load to prevent a pig with symptoms from entering. When traveling they also recommend have the shutters closed everything that the interior temperature allows, which should not exceed 30+5 degrees, and if the truck is to be placed away from others with live animals.

How to disinfect

In this sense, Pedro Martínez considers that “the carrier must be thoroughly prepared and act correctly when loading and unloading”, avoiding any unnecessary stops and not parking near other vehicles. In addition to disinflating correctly after each trip: “This is first the driver’s cabin and then the rest of the vehicle manually, with a detergent and hot water,” describes the CETM representative who adds that “in some slaughterhouses the cleaning center is already integrated.” Specifically, the leaflets distributed talk about paying special attention to Pay attention to the corners and bars of the truck. In addition, it attends to the areas that the carrier handles the most, such as the steering wheel, and sprays the disinfectant throughout the vehicle – evenly.

Martínez highlights that “we have to be more cautious” and confirms a high risk in actions such as the transport of live piglets to farms throughout Spain from markets as relevant as the Netherlands.. “The animals go through up to 3 farms: where they are born, a transition facility and another for fattening,” highlights Martínez, who also sees the journey to the slaughterhouse as risk-free.

Trucks with “more edges, holes and gaps” in Spain

The CETM representative believes that the bodies of the industrial vehicles used in Spain “they have more edges, holes and gaps where organic matter remains,” than those in other countries like Germany. Which, in their opinion, lengthens the cleaning or disinfection tasks that carriers have the obligation to carry out with each trip. Regarding the farms, Martínez believes that they are “biosecure areas where you don’t just entersince there is even a visitor book for all the vehicles that enter and leave, although the ideal would be for all of them to have double fencing.”