Sunday, September 09, 2018

Japan: MAFF Confirms Classical Swine Fever Outbreak

Gifu Prefecture - Credit Wikipedia

















#13,494



Amid growing concerns over the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) in China,  Japan - for the first time in 26 years - is reporting an outbreak of Classical Swine Fever (CSF) in Gifu Prefecture.
Often clinically indistinguishable from ASF, Classical Swine Fever is caused by a different virus (genus Pestivirus, family Flaviviridae).
Like ASF, CSF is highly contagious, and can be economically devastating for pork producers, although it tends to produce much lower mortality in pigs. Unlike with ASF, there is a vaccine for Classical Swine Fever.
Neither disease is considered zoonotic threat.
Japan is one of 35 countries (see map below) that has been certified by the OIE as being free of the disease, with their last outbreak reported in the early 1990s.

http://www.oie.int/animal-health-in-the-world/official-disease-status/classical-swine-fever/map-of-csf-official-status/


This (translated) announcement overnight from Japan's MAFF:
The determination of the corresponding policy in the "Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries swine fever epidemic prevention headquarters."

2018 September 9,
the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Today, in a pig farm in Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, it received that the affected animals of swine fever is a domestic animal infectious disease has been confirmed, held the "Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries swine fever epidemic prevention headquarters", the corresponding policy for the future of the epidemic prevention measures It has decided.
1. Overview of the occurrence
(1) September 3, Gifu Prefecture, received a report of a breeding pig from the pig farm of Gifu have died, carried out inspection, at that time, observed elapsed from the fact that swine fever has been denied It was with.
(2) September 5, from the fact that abnormality of the pig farm does not fit, but Gifu Prefecture was conducted the inspection, it was not a result of doubt the pig cholera.
(3) September 7, from the fact that abnormality of the pig farms are found continue, where Gifu Prefecture again, was carried out the inspection, denied the swine fever results were obtained.
(4) For this reason, on September 8, because the suspicion of swine fever at the Gifu Prefecture were carried out inspection in again Central Livestock Hygiene Service Center occurs, were carried out precision inspection at NARO Animal Health Research Institute (Note) where, today, the has been confirmed that the affected animals (but we have secondary African swine fever in China, as a result of carrying out the detailed examination, has confirmed that it is not a infection of African swine fever.).
(5) In response to this, on the basis of the "specific livestock epidemic quarantine guidelines for classical swine fever", today minutes to 8 hours, 00 held the "Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries swine fever epidemic prevention headquarters", determine the corresponding policy for the future of the epidemic prevention measures did.
(Note) The National Research and Development Institute of Agriculture and Food Research Organization animal health research department: research institutions on the only domestic animal health
2. Policy Based on the "specific domestic animal infectious disease Quarantine Guidelines relating swine fever", implementing the following measures.
(1) The farm breeding pigs slaughtered and baked burial, carried quickly and accurately quarantine measures necessary for setting of the movement restriction zone (within 3km radius from generation farms).
(2) For farm movement restricted area, quickly implement the occurrence confirmatory test.
(3) Since the spread of infection prevention, strengthening the disinfection of peripheral generation farm, installing a disinfection point to the main road.
(4) dispatch for confirmation of cooperation with prefecture, the Nonaka Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Parliamentary Secretary to Gifu Prefecture.
(5) dispatched infection situation, to accurately grasp the infection route and the like, in order to allow the study of the precise quarantine policy, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of experts in the field.
(6) In order to support the quarantine measures of disposal-baked buried却等killing of Gifu Prefecture, if necessary, all over the Regional Agricultural Administration Bureau, animal quarantine station, dispatch the "emergency support team" from the National Livestock Breeding Center and the like.
(7) for the investigation of such infection route, dispatch the epidemiological investigation team of the country.
(8) with respect to the total State, notify the thoroughness of early detection and early notification of the disease.
(9) strive to relevant ministries and sufficient cooperation, producer, consumer, try to provide accurate information to the distributors and the like.
3. Other
(1) pig cholera, swine, is a disease of wild boar, it does not infect humans. In addition, it does not meat of infected pigs on the market.
(2) the farm, you have to refrain from the movement of breeding pigs from the time the suspicion of swine fever has occurred.
(3) interview in the field, that there is a risk that cause the spread of the disease, since it could violate the privacy of those farmers, thank you for your cooperation as strictly avoided. In the future, because you strive to fast and accurate information provided, officials and consumers, such as producers so as not to be confused by such as no rumor basis, thank you for your cooperation.
We'll have to wait to see whether this outbreak is quickly contained, and (hopefully) how it was introduced into this farm. As far as the history of CSF eradication in Japan is concerned, in 2007 MAFF produced the following summary:
The eradication of classical swine fever in Japan
Classical swine fever, which is an acute infectious disease in pigs, existed throughout Japan but the outbreaks had decreased sharply with the improvement of the disease control and herd management technologies and the implementation of a live vaccine from 1969. No outbreak has been observed since 1992.

Under such circumstances, eradication program has been introduced step by step since 1996 to establish control measures without vaccination and thus to fully eradicate this disease with the cooperation of prefecture and local governments, producers and all other related organizations.

As a part of the measures, we have completely banned vaccinations since April 1st, 2006, and watched the disease. One year had passed since then and we had reported the achievement of the eradication program to the Office International des Epizooties (OIE). According to the requirement of the OIE cod
e, Japan had become a classical swine fever free country on April 1st, 2007.

A reminder that while we watch and wait for one pathogenic threat, it is very easy to be blindsided by something different coming out of left field.