ASF Confirmed Cases Ease... All 129 Sampled Farms Test Negative

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] No additional confirmed cases have appeared in major areas related to African Swine Fever (ASF).

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for African Swine Fever announced on the 20th that out of 197 pig farms targeted for detailed inspection until the 19th, samples were collected from 152 farms, and all 129 farms with test results were confirmed negative.

From the 16th to the 26th, the Headquarters is conducting the '2nd detailed and clinical inspection' on 397 pig farms in border areas. This includes 395 pig farms in 14 cities and counties in northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces and adjacent areas, as well as 2 farms (located in Icheon) epidemiologically linked to the current outbreak farms (excluding overlapping farms).

No abnormalities were found in the clinical inspection results for 24 out of 200 pig farms subject to clinical inspection. On the 19th, a telephone survey of 1,245 pig farms in Gyeonggi and Gangwon regions also found no suspected ASF cases.

On the 19th, the Headquarters deployed 163 disinfection vehicles to intensively disinfect areas around wild boar outbreak points and major roads in border areas. For places difficult for vehicles to access, 90 dedicated disinfection personnel from the Ministry of Environment were deployed. U-shaped vehicle disinfection facilities, high-pressure sprayers, and footbath disinfectant tanks were installed at DMZ and Civilian Control Line entry points, where military personnel disinfect vehicles and drivers entering the area. Nationwide, 6,066 pig farms were treated with 910 disinfection vehicles, and 26 fogging disinfection vehicles were mobilized in 13 cities and counties in border and pig-dense areas to control pests around farms to prevent contamination spread.

The Headquarters is also strengthening inspections of illegal imported livestock products distributed and sold mainly in foreigner-dense residential areas and conducting baggage checks of overseas travelers at domestic entry airports to block ASF inflow from abroad. They are promoting awareness to prevent overseas travelers from illegally bringing in livestock products and have additionally installed dedicated X-ray machines for quarantine of agricultural and livestock products.

Kim Hyunsu, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, emphasized at the ASF quarantine status meeting on the 19th, "Minimizing personnel access to pig houses, especially sow houses (facilities for breeding sows), and wearing protective clothing and dedicated boots upon entry, along with continuous disinfection, are the most important quarantine rules." Regarding avian influenza (AI), he requested, "For layer farms and egg sorting and packaging facilities with frequent vehicle access for egg transport, please thoroughly disinfect egg transport pallets and plywood and use disposable egg trays without fail."

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