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| 2 New Provinces Reported in 24 hours (Guangxi & Shandong) |
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After reporting more than 100 ASF outbreaks in 5 months - starting about two weeks before the Chinese New Years celebration (Feb 5th), and lasting for nearly a month - China's MOA reported only 1 outbreak (Feb 8th) of African Swine Fever.
That lull has apparently ended, as over the past 24 hours 2 new provinces - more than 1000 miles apart - have reported ASF outbreaks.Yesterday, it was Guangxi Province - the last hold out in Southern China - reporting outbreaks on two farms with 23,000+ pigs. Today it is Shandong Province, reporting an outbreak on a farm in the Capital city of Jinin.
African swine fever epidemic in Laiwu District, Jinan City, Shandong ProvinceWhile these MOA announcements provide an official notification date, the actual (or suspected) start date of these outbreaks is rarely mentioned. In the past we've seen some substantial delays in reporting out of China.
Date: 2019-02-20 14:26 Author: Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Press Office
The Information Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs was released on February 20th, and the African swine fever epidemic occurred in Laiwu District, Jinan City, Shandong Province.
On February 20, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs received a report from the China Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, and was diagnosed by the China Center for Animal Health and Epidemiology.
A pig swine outbreak occurred in a farm in Laiwu District, Jinan City. Up to now, the farm has 4,504 live pigs, 17 diseases and 3 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 according to the requirements, 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.
Hopefully we'll get some specifics when the OIE notifications are published.China's response to their ASF crisis has changed over the past couple of months.
During the first few months of China' ASF crisis (August - November), their MOA took a very vocal, hard-line stance against farmers, pig transporters, and pig feed manufacturers whose actions might help spread the virus (see MOA Joint Statement On `Very Serious' Spread Of ASF & New Outbreak In Hubei).
In late December that tone began to change.Some of the newly enacted regulations were eased (see China MOA Relaxes Some Rules On Pig Transport Amid Ongoing ASF Epidemic), apparently in order to promote the adequate flow of pork for the Lunar New Year's Holiday.
Despite the discovery of more ASF contaminated food products, and infected dead pigs found floating in the waters off the Mainland, by mid-January top officials were publicly downplaying the crisis (see China MOA Denies ASF `Epidemic' While Taiwan Increases Interdiction Efforts).
A week later, news of ASF outbreaks all but stopped coming from China. Admittedly, during the prolonged Chinese New Year's celebration, most agencies (local and national) are short-staffed, and that may well account for the lull.At the same time, however, the number of ASF contaminated food products being interdicted by customs officials in Taiwan, Japan, and Australia continued to rise, and we've seen a spate of reports (see here, here, and here) of dead pigs dumped into rivers and streams in China.
Whether we are now seeing a `managed release' of information from the MOA, the end of a genuine lull in outbreaks, or reporting delays caused by farmers (or local officials) being reluctant to report outbreaks over the holidays, one thing is abundantly clear.Any suggestions that China's ASF crisis is under control are both exaggerated and premature.
