Fox parvovirus has been detected in a piglet in Flanders for the first time, Flemish animal health body DGZ said on Tuesday, adding that veterinarians have reported similar clinical signs elsewhere.
DGZ said the virus is a variant of parvovirus genetically related to one found in fox faeces in the Netherlands in 2012.
The infection can cause particularly noticeable symptoms, especially in piglets. The most striking signs include swollen or protruding eyes, squinting, skin redness and hair loss. Animals may also lose condition.
Similar symptoms have recently been observed in fattening pigs, DGZ said.
Despite the severity of some symptoms, infections are generally mild. The disease is not fatal and usually clears up on its own after a few weeks.
Because so little is known about the virus, there are currently no specific recommendations for preventing it.
Belgium’s Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain said the virus does not currently pose any risk to food safety.
However, it stressed that the general rule still applies: sick animals must not enter the food chain.
