Jungsubon "Full-scale Response to ASF Spread After Monsoon"

Disinfection by Japanese forces, removal of floating debris in rivers... "Elimination of pollution sources"

A scene of quarantine measures being taken to prevent the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus from entering livestock farms due to heavy rainfall.
(Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The African Swine Fever (ASF) Central Accident Response Headquarters (CARH) announced on the 17th that it will conduct disinfection and removal of floating contaminants to prevent the spread of ASF after the monsoon season.

CARH judged that due to heavy rains, contaminated floating materials such as wild boar carcasses along rivers in border areas could be transmitted to humans.

As of the 14th, 706 cases of ASF have occurred, including the detection of the ASF virus from a wild boar carcass in Inje-gun, Gangwon-do.

CARH will carry out ▲ inspection of wild boar fences, burial sites, and traps ▲ thorough disinfection around rivers and roads ▲ farm-level quarantine measures ▲ removal of floating materials in rivers.

From today, disinfection and other quarantine measures will be implemented simultaneously. In areas currently experiencing the monsoon, personnel, vehicles, and equipment will be deployed immediately once the rain stops.

First, inspections of wild boar response facilities will be conducted. Barrier fences, burial sites for positive cases, and traps will be inspected simultaneously, and damaged parts in areas with a high risk of ASF spread will be reinforced within a week.

Secondary and wide-area fences damaged or flooded will be jointly inspected by local government offices, on-site situation rooms, local authorities, and the National Institute of Ecology as soon as the rain stops.

Local governments will form and operate emergency repair teams for secondary fences, while the Ministry of Environment will do so for wide-area fences to promptly restore damaged sections.

Priority will be given to the wide-area fence repair team for the southernmost 269 km section connecting Paju, Yeoncheon, Hwacheon, Chuncheon, Yanggu, Inje, and Goseong.

Restoration will begin in high-risk spread areas such as Changsu-myeon in Pocheon (around Bojangsan) and Sanae-myeon in Hwacheon (south of Duryusan).

CARH plans to jointly inspect burial sites of wild boars testing positive with local governments and on-site situation rooms to check burial conditions after rainfall. In concentrated burial areas such as Yeoncheon and Hwacheon, emergency inspection teams will be formed and deployed using carcass search personnel.

For traps, 102 dedicated management personnel by city and county will be sent to check for damage and decomposition status during the monsoon period.

CARH will temporarily designate the day after the monsoon ends as the 'Simultaneous Disinfection Day' to disinfect areas around wild boar positive detection sites, riversides, major roads, farm surroundings, and access roads.

The 'Livestock Environment and Disinfection Day,' previously held every Wednesday, will be integrated with the 'Simultaneous Disinfection Day' immediately after the monsoon to strengthen farm-level quarantine.

Jointly with related ministries and agencies, floating materials from rivers, dams, reservoirs, and sluice gate screens in border areas will be collected, disinfected, and then incinerated or buried. Since border areas are at risk of contamination spread, strict management will be enforced.

A CARH official stated, "Due to recent record-breaking heavy rains, ASF contamination sources are spreading, and the risk of virus introduction into farms is higher than ever. We urge farm owners and managers to carefully understand and thoroughly implement quarantine measures with a sense of urgency."

Source: African Swine Fever Central Accident Response Headquarters

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