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Despite a slowing of ASF reports from China's MOA the past couple of weeks, efforts in neighboring countries to prevent its entry continue - and with the Chinese New Year's travel season just a few weeks away - concerns over its continued spread run high.
Over the past several months we've seen multiple reports of the interception of ASF contaminated food illegally brought into South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan - some even originating from areas in China where ASF outbreaks have not been declared.A few examples include:
Taiwan Seizes 6th Positive Sample
Japan MAFF: ASF Virus Detected In Luggage At Hokkaido Airport
South Korea Detects ASF Gene In Chinese Food Products: Additional Testing Underway
Travelers smuggling raw pork from China to face maximum penalty
Exactly how thorough, and timely, the reporting of ASF outbreaks are from China's MOA is difficult to gauge. That said, we've a fresh report from the MOA - the first since December 25th - on a new outbreak in Shanxi Province.
African swine fever epidemic in Zezhou County, Shanxi Province
Date: 2018-12-30 19:51 Author: Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Press Office
The Information Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs was released on December 30, and an African swine fever epidemic occurred in Zezhou County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province.
At 17 o'clock on December 30, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs received a report from the China Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, which was diagnosed by the Shanxi Provincial Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, and an African swine fever epidemic occurred in a farm in Zezhou County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province.
Up to now, the farmer has stored 8016 pigs, 24 diseases and 7 deaths.
Immediately after the outbreak, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs sent a steering group to the local area. The local government has started the emergency response mechanism as required, and adopted measures such as blockade, culling, harmless treatment, disinfection, etc., to treat all the sick and culled pigs harmlessly. At the same time, all pigs and their products are prohibited from being transferred out of the blockade, and pigs are prohibited from being transported into the blockade. At present, the above measures have been implemented.
Taiwan, which two weeks ago Opened An ASF Center & Raised Fines To Prevent Entry Of Disease, currently interdicts about 10 airline passengers each day attempting to bring illegal and potentially contaminated food products into the country - many from Mainland China.
A report today in Focus Taiwan, suggests that the raised fines haven't worked, and highlights new efforts to try to stem this tide.
Taiwan may deploy more sniffer dogs at airports amid ASF fear
2018/12/31 19:01:10
Taipei, Dec. 31 (CNA) The Council of Agriculture (COA) is planning to deploy more sniffer dogs and install X-ray scanners at speedy immigration clearance gates at airports after finding the number of travelers trying to smuggle meat products into Taiwan has not declined despite heavy fines.
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Instead, Huang noted, the COA will propose at a Central Emergency Operation Center meeting on the ASF crisis scheduled for Jan. 4 reinforced inspection measures, including deploying more sniffer dogs and setting up X-ray scanners at serve-yourself immigration clearance gates at airports.
According to statistics from the COA's Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, from Dec. 18-30, a total of 137 cases of travelers caught bringing meat products into Taiwan from areas infected with ASF, foot and mouth disease and avian flu have been reported.
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The Lunar New Year will fall on February 5th this year, and it is undoubtedly the most important holiday in all of Asia.
Each year it inspires the largest migration of humans on the planet as hundreds of millions flee the big cities and return to their home towns for a few days to attend a reunion dinner with their families - preferably on the eve of the lunar New Year.Many people will likely carry food gifts - including pork products - either to or from their holiday destinations, and that could help spread ASF further across China, and Asia.
Somewhat ironically, 2019 will be the year of the pig in the Chinese zodiac.And while the biggest risks for the spread of ASF right now are in Asia, and Eastern Europe, their are concerns over seeing it arrive in North America someday, as well.
Earlier this month the USDA released a new African Swine Fever Factsheet that discusses their preparations for a possible introduction of the virus into this country.
(Excerpt)
Keeping ASF Out
Because of the concern over ASF, USDA recently reviewed and further strengthened its longstanding stringent protections against the spread of the disease.These include:
- Collaborating with states, industry and producers to ensure everyone follows on-farm biosecurity and best practices (including for garbage feeding in states where that is allowed);
- Restricting imports of pork and pork products from affected countries; and
- Working with CBP staff at ports of entry to increase passenger and baggage screening for prohibited products from affected countries.
