Chungnam Tightens Measures to Prevent ASF Entry and Spread in the Region

Livestock quarantine officials are collecting blood samples from pigs for African Swine Fever (ASF) testing at a pig farm in Yanggu County, a border area of Gangwon Province. The photo is unrelated to the article. Source=Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy (Naepo) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province is tightening measures to prevent the regional introduction and spread of the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus.

According to the province on the 31st, ASF has sporadically occurred since October last year in nine cities and counties in northern Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do, showing a southward spread pattern. This year, the number of ASF infection cases in wild boars reported in northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon has steadily increased to around 670 cases.

ASF is a type of viral hemorrhagic swine disease that is directly transmitted through secretions from infected pigs. Above all, the mortality rate of ASF-infected pigs is 100%, making the damage to the pig farming industry absolute.

Chungnam’s active efforts to block ASF introduction and prevent its spread are for the same reason. Currently, about 1,200 pig farms in Chungnam raise approximately 2.4 million pigs, accounting for about 20% of the national pig population. In other words, if Chungnam fails in ASF quarantine, the predicted damage scale to domestic pig farms is expected to be considerable.

Accordingly, the province will first expand the areas where live pig movement and the import/export of manure and semen are prohibited from the existing 13 cities and counties (Cheorwon, Hwacheon, Yanggu, Inje, Goseong, Sokcho in Gangwon-do; Paju, Gimpo, Yeoncheon, Dongducheon, Pocheon, Yangju in Gyeonggi-do; Ganghwa in Incheon) to 15 cities and counties (including Chuncheon in Gangwon-do and Gapyeong in Gyeonggi-do).

Additionally, to strengthen on-site quarantine, the province will urgently support city and county governments with operating expenses for key disinfection facilities (1.6 billion KRW) and purchase of disinfectants (200 million KRW), and plans to enhance quarantine activities such as inspecting all pig farms once a week.

Im Seung-beom, head of the Animal Quarantine and Hygiene Division of the province, said, “The ASF virus can enter farms through even the smallest gap at any time,” and urged pig farmers to strictly follow basic rules such as controlling outsiders and vehicles, disinfecting farms, and changing boots.

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