Health

African Swine Fever Detected in Finland for First Time, Restrictions Adjusted as Additional Wild Boars Test Negative – Wildlife Gates Closed in Southeast but Remain Open in North Karelia

File photo by Antti Bilund from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed in Finland for the first time, prompting strict movement and activity restrictions in parts of Southeast Finland. The Finnish Food Authority detected the disease in wild boars in Virolahti, Kymenlaakso, on 30 July, after PCR testing of dead wild boar piglets (Yle, Iltalehti). A dead wild boar discovered in Joutseno, Lappeenranta, outside the current infection zone, has since tested negative for ASF, according to Terhi Laaksonen, Head of the Animal Health and Welfare Department at the Finnish Food Authority (Ilta-Sanomat, Iltalehti). The piglet was found in Kuurmanpohja, Joutseno, on 2 August and arrived for examination on 5 August (Iltalehti). The highly contagious and fatal viral disease affects pigs and wild boars but does not pose a risk to humans. Iltalehti reports that the detection of ASF in wild boars found in Vaalimaa has led to additional restrictions on everyman’s rights in the forests of the infection zone, including a prohibition on berry and mushroom picking within a three-kilometer radius of the location where the dead piglets were found (Yle).

Emergency Alert Cancellation Sent to Wrong Region After Janakkala Fire

An error occurred on Thursday when the Emergency Response Centre Agency incorrectly directed the cancellation of an emergency alert to Päijät-Häme instead of Kanta-Häme. The mistake followed a fire at an energy waste pile in Janakkala, which had prompted the initial alert. The fire, which began in the

Violent Aggravated Robbery in Kerava Targets Teenager

Police are investigating a suspected aggravated robbery in Kerava, where a group of young men violently assaulted and robbed a 17-year-old boy in late July. The incident occurred on Junailijankuja at approximately 1:00 AM on 23 July, as the victim was walking home from a train station

Minor Rescued After Rising River Current Traps Angler in Ylivieska

A young angler was safely rescued from a dangerous situation in Ylivieska on Thursday afternoon after rising water levels and strong currents trapped him on a riverside rock. The incident occurred near the rapids at Raputie, where the Hamari dam’s discharge had intensified the river’s flow following heavy

Thousands of Litres of Milk Spill in Reisjärvi After Truck Trailer Failure

An estimated 3,000–4,000 litres of milk spilled onto a road in Reisjärvi on Thursday morning after a technical failure in a milk truck’s trailer. The incident occurred shortly before 9:00 AM on Ylilestintie, prompting an immediate response from the North Ostrobothnia rescue department. Yle reports

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Emergency Alert Cancellation Sent to Wrong Region After Janakkala Fire

Violent Aggravated Robbery in Kerava Targets Teenager

Minor Rescued After Rising River Current Traps Angler in Ylivieska

Thousands of Litres of Milk Spill in Reisjärvi After Truck Trailer Failure