Gyeonggi-do Launches African Swine Fever Prevention... Special Quarantine Measures from May to October

[Asia Economy (Uijeongbu) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will implement special quarantine measures from next month until October due to the consecutive outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in wild boars in border areas such as Paju, Yeoncheon, and Pocheon.

During this period, the province will continue to operate the 'ASF Quarantine Countermeasures Headquarters' and organize a 24-hour task force to receive reports and respond promptly.

In addition, vehicle entry will be prohibited in principle at pig farms in six northern Gyeonggi areas with a high risk of ASF outbreaks: Pocheon, Goyang, Yangju, Dongducheon, Gapyeong, and Namyangju.

Furthermore, the province will work jointly with the Korean Pork Producers Association to conduct rodent control and pest management to block the transmission of the ASF virus through vectors.

Within the province, 28 base disinfection facilities and 162 farm checkpoints are operated, and pig farms within 10 km of wild boar ASF detection areas are subject to special management such as movement restrictions.

Additionally, the province will verify compliance with quarantine measures and assess risk levels for farms where ASF has occurred, including those in Paju, Yeoncheon, and Gimpo.

Kim Seong-sik, Director of the Livestock and Forestry Bureau of the province, stated, "Through the implementation of special quarantine measures, we will thoroughly block the spread of ASF from wild boars to farmed pigs," and added, "Effective blocking quarantine requires active cooperation from livestock farms, including controlling vehicle access within farms, installing fences, applying repellents, and spreading slaked lime."

ASF is a viral first-class livestock infectious disease affecting pigs, with an acute mortality rate reaching 100%. However, since no vaccine has been developed yet, most countries are implementing culling policies.

Within the province, from September 16 to October 9 last year, a total of nine ASF cases occurred, resulting in the culling of 320,502 pigs across 207 farms. In wild boars, 326 cases were reported from October 3 last year in Paju, Yeoncheon, and Pocheon, with a sharp increase observed this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.