Test Results for ASF in 358 Pig Farms in Northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon and Adjacent Areas All 'Negative'

All 50 Pig Farms Related to Positive Confirmed Farms Test Negative

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyun-jung] The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for African Swine Fever announced on the 12th that it conducted detailed inspections (blood sample collection and testing) for African Swine Fever on 358 pig farms in 14 cities and counties in northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces and adjacent areas (excluding 19 farms on hiatus, 15 farms not raising pigs, and 3 farms culled; 244 farms in Gyeonggi and 114 farms in Gangwon), all of which tested negative.

Additionally, detailed inspections were conducted on 50 pig farms epidemiologically linked to the two farms confirmed positive so far, and all results were negative.

In this regard, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters explained that to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever, since last September, the Gyeonggi and Gangwon regions have been divided into four zones, with controls on the movement of pigs, manure, and vehicles between zones, and designated slaughterhouses have been operated, resulting in a small number of epidemiologically linked farms.

Telephone surveillance was conducted on 1,288 pig farms in the Gyeonggi and Gangwon regions (1,214 responded, response rate 94.3%), and no abnormalities such as suspected African Swine Fever cases were found during the surveillance.

On the 11th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters mobilized 912 disinfection devices to disinfect 6,066 pig farms nationwide. At two designated slaughterhouses of the first African Swine Fever outbreak farm in Hwacheon, slaughtering has been suspended, access is controlled, and intensive disinfection is being conducted on internal and external facilities as well as surrounding roads.

Furthermore, on the 10th, emergency field inspection teams (18 teams) were dispatched to 175 pig farms within the wild boar quarantine zone (within a 10 km radius of the location where positive wild boars were found) to inspect disinfection and quarantine status, confirming that many farms had insufficient application of slaked lime. Accordingly, on the 11th, emergency slaked lime application was carried out on 358 pig farms in northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon and adjacent 14 cities and counties.

On the 11th, culling was completed for the first confirmed farm in Hwacheon (confirmed on October 9) and two nearby farms (within 10 km), and preventive culling is underway for two farms in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, confirmed to be epidemiologically linked to the second confirmed farm (located 2.1 km from the initially confirmed farm).

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters plans to conduct detailed inspections and intensive disinfection focusing on outbreak sites and nearby areas, as well as farms and livestock facilities epidemiologically linked to outbreak farms to prevent additional occurrences of African Swine Fever. At the African Swine Fever situation meeting held on the 11th (presided over by the head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters), Kim Hyun-soo, the head of the headquarters, urged, "Please promptly identify farms and livestock facilities epidemiologically linked to outbreak farms and conduct intensive disinfection," and appealed to pig farmers to "thoroughly disinfect and manage vehicles and people entering farms to prevent additional outbreaks of African Swine Fever."

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