#14,331
On Tuesday of this week - when South Korea's outbreak count was still only 4 farms - MAFRA ordered a 48-hour standstill on all pig farms and feed factories on Tuesday in hopes of containing this outbreak.
In just two days that number has nearly doubled (n=7) - with several additional farms currently under investigation - which has forced MAFRA to extend the stop movement order for at least another 48 hours.The success in containing ASF by other countries around the world has been dismal at best, and so MAFRA well understands the importance of curbing its spread early.
We've 2 (translated) reports from South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture this morning. First on the 48 hour extension.
48-hour extension of temporary suspension order for nationwide defense measures
2019.09.26 13:17:41 Prevention Policy Bureau
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Minister: Kim Hyun-Su, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) announced on September 9.
❍ African swine fever (ASF) has been added to pig farms in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, and the government has confirmed that it has extended its 48-hour suspension of movement order.
* (Original) 9.24 (Tue) 12: 00 ~ 9.26 (Thursday) 12 o'clock → (Extended) 9.26 (Thursday) 12 ~ 9.28 (Sat) 12 o'clock❍ The target is the same for pig farms, slaughterhouses, and entrance vehicles throughout the country.
Currently, we are strengthening the quarantine management by expanding the key management areas, disinfecting pig farms and border areas in Japan, and establishing farm posts.
❍ As a result of joint inspections by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Forest Service, some of the deficiency measures were found to be insufficient.
❍ At the same time, it was emphasized that all farmhouses and livestock facilities in the country would complete all quarantine measures during that period.
During the temporary suspension order, the central joint inspection team will check the overall status of implementation of the suspension order and guide the implementation status of the operation of the base disinfection facility and compliance with the quarantine measures.
Next, confirmation of the 7th infected farm reported over the past 9 days.
Confirmed 1st pig farm in Ganghwa-gun and confirmed 1st pig farm in Yangju-si, Yeoncheon-gun and Ganghwa-gun
2019.09.26 14:40:46 Bureau of Defense Policy
□ The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs conducted a thorough inspection at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Quarantine Headquarters on Sept. 25 for a pig farm in Samsan-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon on September 25. Confirmed,
Two farm pigs were found to have been killed (no other farm within 3 km).
* Confirmation of domestic ASF: 7 cases (1 today, 6 cases occurred)
1) Reported on September 16-Pig farm in Paju, Gyeonggi-do (confirmed on September 17)
2) Reported on September 17-Pig Farm in Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do (confirmed on September 18)
3) Reported on September 23-Pig Farm in Gimpo, Gyeonggi-do (confirmed on September 23)
4) Report on 9.23-Pig Farm in Paju, Gyeonggi-do (confirmed on September 24)
5) 9/23 Prediction-Pig Farm in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon (confirmed on September 24)
6) Report on 9.25-Pig Farm in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon (confirmed on September 25)
7) 9.25 Day Forecast-Pig Farm in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon (confirmed on September 26)
□ On the other hand, suspicious symptom (1 pig head dead) in 1 pig farm in Cheongsan-myeon, Cheonsan-myeon, Gyeonggi-do is Yeoncheon-si, and abnormal symptom in 1 pig farm (714 head breeding) in Eunhyeon-myeon, Yangju-si. Two companies were reported to Yangju, respectively.
○ One pig farm in Ganghwa-eup, Ganghwa-eup, Incheon, reported that they had reported abnormal symptoms (such as one pig fattening) during the telephone forecasting process of the Livestock Hygiene and Defense Support Headquarters.□ The Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs has sent a team of defense workers to the farms immediately after receipt of the report.
○ The farmers were asked to implement thorough quarantine measures such as disinfection and prompt report of suspicion (☏1588-9060 / 4060).
South Korea is the 9th Asian Nation to report the arrival of African Swine Fever since August of 2018. Losses in China, Vietnam, Mongolia, North Korea, Laos, and Cambodia have run into the tens . . . if not hundreds . . . of millions of pigs.
Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, and India are all on alert as this ASF juggernaut inexorably spreads across Asia.So far, African Swine Fever has never been reported in North America, but the illegal movement of ASF contaminated food products, animal feed, and other products from affected areas remains a constant threat.
Last May, in USDA Enhances Domestic ASF Surveillance Efforts, we looked at plans for enhanced testing and surveillance for ASF in American pigs, in hopes of detecting - and stamping out - any infections as early as possible.The USDA also recently released a 28-page ASF response plan, in the event the virus turns up on American soil.
While ASF poses no direct threat to human health, it can be devastating to pork production, and - particularly in food insecure regions - potentially lead to social, political, and economic instability.
