African Swine Fever Outbreaks Confirmed in Korea and Cebu
Korea Reports ASF Outbreak on Large Pig Farm
Korea reported another case of African swine fever (ASF) on Monday after a one-month hiatus. Officials issued a 48-hour standstill order on all pig farms and related pork facilities in the country's northern regions, the agriculture ministry said.
The deadly virus of pigs was found at a farm with nearly 13,000 pigs in the city of Pocheon, about 25 miles northeast of Seoul. After 50 of the farm's pigs died last week, an in-depth inspection was conducted, Korea JoongAng Daily reports.
ASF is nearly always fatal to pigs, but is not harmful to humans and poses no risk to food safety.
This marks the fifth ASF case in the country so far this year, with the last case being reported in the northern county of Yangyang in mid-February. The authorities said they will cull all pigs on this farm as a preventive step. They will also carry out inspections into adjacent and other related farms and facilities, the article noted. There are 80 pig farms within a 10-km radius of the affected farm, which raise about more than 170,000 pigs combined.
ASF Outbreak Confirmed in Cebu
Meanwhile, the Republic of the Philippines Department of Agriculture Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) reported an ASF outbreak in parts of Cebu province, including Cebu City, Liloan, Sibonga, Turburan and Bogo City.
The sample collection was conducted in backyard farms by local government authorities as part of its disease investigation and surveillance efforts.
“Samples were then submitted to the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic and Reference Laboratory (RADDL) Region VII and tested using Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), the gold standard for testing and confirming the ASF virus,” said in an ABS-CBN News article.
Officials recommended the implementation of depopulation or culling of affected and exposed swine within a 1-kilometer radius based on recommendations by the World Organization for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. They will also implement stricter biosecurity policies, the article said.
ABS-CBN reported that the provincial government of Cebu said it will proceed with its plan to formulate its own protocol to curb the spread of ASF in the province as the "BAI protocols did not go through consultation with local government units, and are unrealistic."
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