Gyeonggi-do's Full Effort to Block African Swine Fever During the Rainy Season

Strengthening Quarantine Measures Divided into 3 Stages: Environmental Inspection and Contaminant Removal

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[Asia Economy Reporter La Youngcheol] Gyeonggi Province announced on the 30th that it will implement a "Special Quarantine Plan for the Rainy Season and Heavy Rain Period" to prevent the introduction and occurrence of African Swine Fever (ASF) ahead of the rainy season.

To strengthen quarantine during the rainy season, the province will divide measures into three stages: before the heavy rain, a risk advisory will be issued to ensure compliance with rainy season quarantine rules; during the heavy rain period, adherence to quarantine rules will be monitored.

After the heavy rain ends, the plan is to focus on removing contamination sources through thorough disinfection and environmental inspections in high-risk areas.

Drainage channels around farms will be maintained to block rainwater, and chlorine-based disinfectants will be provided to farms using groundwater as drinking water for pigs.

Additionally, after the rain stops, disinfection will be carried out at pig farms, livestock facilities, and major roads in high-risk areas, and environmental inspections will be conducted targeting major rivers in border areas, small streams, and water puddles around affected farms.

The province will also form joint inspection teams with the Quarantine Headquarters and city/county offices to continuously check the installation and operation status of the eight major quarantine facilities at pig farms within the intensive quarantine management zones.

Originally, the deadline for installing the eight major quarantine facilities in the intensive quarantine management zones was extended to June 30, considering the difficulty for farms to complete installation on time. Farms that fail to install the facilities after June 30 will be subject to fines.

Meanwhile, African Swine Fever (ASF) has occurred in 17 cases across six cities/counties in farmed pigs since 2019, and 1,440 cases have been reported in wild boars across 14 cities/counties nationwide (as of June 29, 2021).

Kim Jonghun, Director of the Animal Quarantine and Hygiene Division, stated, "The rainy season is a dangerous time when ASF contamination sources may enter farms due to heavy rain. Farms need to actively cooperate by maintaining quarantine facilities and strictly following quarantine rules."

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