#14,092
African Swine Fever - which is not, as some headline writers seem to insist: `Swine Flu' - continues its march across China, and increasingly, Southeast Asia. Mongolia, Vietnam, and Cambodia have all reported outbreaks, validating the stark warnings issued by the FAO last August (see FAO: African swine fever (ASF) threatens to spread from China to other Asian countries).
While ASF doesn't pose a direct threat to human health, its continued spread in Asia and Eastern Europe poses an existential threat to their pork industry, as the virus is often 100% fatal in pigs, and no vaccine is currently available.With the strong caveat that the officials reports we get out of China don't necessarily reflect the full size and scope of their African Swine Fever crisis, over the past several days their MOA has published details of three small outbreaks.
We also have the latest FAO ASF situation in Asia update - dated 23 May 2019 - which provides summaries on all of the Asian countries now affected.According to the FAO, China currently officially reports `. . . . 133 ASF outbreaks detected in 32 Provinces/Autonomous Region/Municipalities/Special Administrative Region. 1,129,000 pigs have been culled in an effort to halt further spread.'
However:
- Some organizations - including the FAO's Food Outlook Report - estimate China's losses closer to 20%; roughly 80 to 100 million pigs.
- A Rabobank Research report released in April estimated that between 150-200 million Chinese pigs have already been lost to ASF, and that China's pig production will drop 30% in 2019.
- Other estimates (see ASF China: Global agribusiness suffers; estimates vary) propose even greater losses.
Circumstantial evidence for these tactics include the repeated discovery of ASF-Positive Pig Carcasses floating off the Chinese Mainland coast, and numerous reports on Chinese social media and in the dissident press of the dumping of pig carcasses into lakes and streams, or sometimes just piled up along roadways (Google or Twitter search for `死猪').
It is worth noting that Fujian Province - the most likely source of these `sea drift' pigs, hasn't reported an ASF outbreak since December 24th, 2018 and China's MOA officially lifted their blockade on the movement of pigs on February 6th.
Additionally, China's farmers have a history of `midnight dumping' of sick or dead pigs and poultry, rather than reporting the incident to the appropriate authorities (see Shanghai Govt.: Thousands Of Dead Pigs Retrieved From River and Hong Kong: Another H5N6 Positive Chicken Carcass).The three most recently reported outbreaks on the MOA website (oldest to newest):
Shizuishan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region District benefit farmers occurrence of African swine fever outbreak
Date: 2019-05-21 17:53 Author: Source: Agriculture and Rural Department of Public Information Office [
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Information Office 5 Yue 21 released, Shizuishan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region District benefit farmers occurrence of African swine fever epidemic.
5 Yue 21 Ri 15 , the Ministry of agriculture and rural areas to the control center reported Chinese animal epidemic prevention, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region confirmed animal disease prevention and control center, a farmers Riverside District Office of the streets and benefit farmers Shizuishan occurrence of African swine fever epidemic. Up to now, the farmers herds of pigs 40 heads incidence of 4 head and died 3 headers.
After the outbreak, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural immediately sent a steering group to the local. Started as required by local emergency response mechanism, to take the blockade, culling measures to deal with harmless treatment, disinfection, culling of all pigs died and sound processing. At the same time, prohibiting all pigs and their products to bring up the blockade zone, prohibiting the transport of live pigs blockade zone. At present, these measures have been implemented.
Yanshan County, Yunnan Province, African swine fever outbreaks occur
Date: 2019-05-25 18:58 Author: Source: Agriculture and Rural Department of Public Information Office [
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Information Office May 25 release, Yanshan County of Wenshan Prefecture of Yunnan Province African swine fever epidemic.
At 15:25 on May days, the Ministry of agriculture and rural areas to the control center reported Chinese animal epidemic prevention, Animal Disease Control Center of Yunnan Province confirmed, Wenshan Yanshan County Township Korimaro some farmers African swine fever outbreaks occur. Up to now, the relevant farmers pig herds 104, the incidence of 49, died 48.
After the outbreak, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural immediately sent a steering group to the local. Started as required by local emergency response mechanism, to take the blockade, culling emergency measures, sound processing, disinfection, culling of all pigs App and sound processing. At the same time, prohibiting all pigs and their products to bring up the blockade zone, prohibiting the transport of live pigs blockade zone. At present, these measures have been implemented.
Bobai County in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region African swine fever outbreak
Date: 2019-05-27 16:04 Author: Source: Agriculture and Rural Department of Public Information Office
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Information Office 5 Yue 27 Ri released, Bobai County, Yulin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region occurrence of African swine fever epidemic.
5 Yue 27 Ri , the Ministry of agriculture and rural areas to the control center reported Chinese animal epidemic prevention, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region confirmed animal disease prevention and control center, Bobai County Mong Mao Zhenmou farmers raising pigs occurrence of African swine fever epidemic, pig herds 1 head, the incidence of 1 head, death 0 head.
After the outbreak, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Steering Group to guide local carry out disposal. Started as required by local emergency response mechanism, to take the blockade, culling measures to deal with harmless treatment, disinfection, culling of pigs and pig sound processing. At the same time, prohibiting all pigs and their products to bring up the blockade zone, prohibiting the transport of live pigs blockade zone. At present, these measures have been implemented.
Some excerpts from the latest and detailed FAO Situation Update include:
China
Since the China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) confirmed its first African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in Liaoning Province on 3 August 2018, 133 ASF outbreaks detected in 32 Provinces/Autonomous Region/Municipalities/Special Administrative Region. 1,129,000 pigs have been culled in an effort to halt further spread.
Mongolia
- Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region: An ASF outbreak was reported on 21 May in the Hebin Street, Huinong District, Shizuishan City; 4 of 40 pigs became sick of which 3 died from the disease [reference].
- Sichuan Province: An ASF outbreak was reported on 20 May in Jiangzhaxiang Township, Ruoergai County, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province; 111 of 429 pigs became sick of which 78 died from the disease [reference].
- Guizhou Province: ASF virus was detected on 18 May in a lot arrived in a slaughterhouse in Wudang District, Guiyang City, Guizhou Province; 6 of 75 pigs became sick and died from the disease. The pigs were from other provinces, illegally transferred by the owner [reference].
Since its first report on 15 January 2019, 11 outbreaks in 6 provinces and in Ulaanbaatar have been reported, involving 105 farms/households. More than 3,115 pigs, more than 10 percent of the total pig population in Mongolia, have died/been destroyed due to the ASF outbreaks.(Continue . . . )
Viet Nam
Since the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) confirmed its ASF outbreaks on 19 February 2019, a total of 38 provinces/cities reported outbreaks, approximately 1,500,000 pigs have been culled.
Cambodia
Since the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries confirmed its first ASF outbreak in Som Kaninh village, Som Thom commune, O Ya Dav District, Ratanakiri Province on 2 April 2019, more than 2400 pigs have died or been culled.
