Indonesia reported an outbreak of the deadly virus of pigs, African swine fever, on a farm on the Riau Islands near Singapore, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
The outbreak detected on April 1 killed 35,297 pigs within a herd of 285,034 pigs on a farm located on Bulan island. On April 28, the outbreak was confirmed, Indonesian authorities told WOAH.
Although the source of the Indonesian outbreak is still unknown, Reuters reports that veterinarian authorities told WOAH that humans, vehicles, feed, flies and wild boar may have played an important role in the introduction of this disease on the farm.
The investigation began after the disease was detected by the Singapore Food Agency in imported pigs, authorities report.
ASF is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, whose mortality rate can reach 100%. It is not a danger to human health, but it has devastating effects on pig populations and the farming economy. There is currently no effective vaccine against ASF. In addition, the virus is highly resistant in the environment, which means it can survive on clothes, boots, wheels and other materials. It can also survive in various pork products, such as ham, sausages or bacon, WOAH explains.
China first reported ASF in 2018, resulting in the depopulation of millions of pigs and a dramatic decline in meat output in the global markets. China is facing a recent surge in infections in 2023, Reuters reports.
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