Gyeonggi and Gangwon Pig Farms: No ASF Suspected Animals Found in Surveillance on the 17th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for African Swine Fever (ASF) announced that no abnormalities such as suspected ASF cases were found following telephone surveillance conducted on 1,245 pig farms in the Gyeonggi and Gangwon regions on the 17th. During the telephone surveillance, focused promotion of biosecurity rules to be observed at pig farms (three items daily) was also carried out.

Since the 16th, the headquarters has been conducting the '2nd round of detailed and clinical inspections' on 397 pig farms in border areas, and samples have been collected from 71 pig farms targeted for detailed inspection so far. Among them, all 59 farms with results confirmed were negative, and the rest are still under examination.

The headquarters plans to mobilize all possible resources to eliminate any potential sources of contamination near the outbreak areas. Approximately 920 disinfection vehicles and more than 100 personnel have been deployed, disinfecting daily without holidays on major roads within and around the DMZ, civilian control zones, border areas, and around all pig farms nationwide (6,066 farms). To intensify disinfection efforts, in addition to the existing disinfection vehicles, wide-area sprayers, and military decontamination vehicles, wildfire suppression vehicles have been deployed. Since the 16th, fogging disinfection (fogging vehicles) has been conducted around 224 pig farms in Hwacheon, Cheorwon, and Pocheon areas to prevent transmission through pests such as flies.

Along with border area biosecurity, the headquarters plans to further strengthen biosecurity in regions nationwide with high pig density. This is because if ASF occurs in cities or counties with high pig density, the complex epidemiological relationships can increase the scale of farm damage and cause difficulties in biosecurity.

The headquarters has selected 10 cities and counties* with large pig farming scales to inspect biosecurity and disinfection facilities at pig farms within these areas and plans to take administrative actions (fines) and exclude farms with deficiencies from support projects. The targeted cities and counties are Hongseong, Icheon, Anseong, Boryeong, Jeongeup, Dangjin, Gimje, Muan, Cheonan, and Yesan (ranked by number of pigs raised). These areas collectively raise about 3.4 million pigs, accounting for 31% of the total.

The headquarters will prioritize enhanced biosecurity measures for pig farms located in high-risk border areas and the 10 selected cities and counties, and plans to expand these measures nationwide in the future. They will produce and distribute 'Biosecurity Information Boards for Farm Entrances' to all 6,066 pig farms nationwide to strengthen promotion so that visitors to farms can carefully check and comply with disinfection and other biosecurity requirements.

Kim Hyunsoo, head of the central headquarters, stated at the ASF biosecurity status meeting on the 17th, "Since the incubation period of ASF can be up to three weeks and the situation remains severe with continuous occurrences in wild boars, we must not lower our guard." He urged, "Please concentrate all possible capabilities on detailed inspections, intensive disinfection, farm quarantine, and wild boar management to prevent additional outbreaks." Regarding avian influenza (AI), he emphasized, "As migratory birds are now entering the country in earnest, more thorough disinfection of migratory bird habitats is necessary," and stressed, "Please strictly control the access of outsiders and vehicles to duck farms, which are relatively vulnerable to avian influenza infection."

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