Government Intensifies African Swine Fever Prevention Efforts... No Additional Confirmed Cases

The quarantine authorities are using fogging vehicles to disinfect the areas around farms to prevent the spread of contaminants through pests such as flies.

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The government is making every effort to prevent additional infections in pig farms through the African Swine Fever (ASF) Central Accident Response Headquarters. Amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the plan is to prevent the spread of diseases in livestock farms, which are directly linked to the demand and prices of major livestock products, to avoid increasing social anxiety.

According to the Central Accident Response Headquarters (CARH) on the 21st, all 397 pigs tested negative in the detailed inspection (197 farms) and clinical examination (200 farms) conducted in border area pig farms until the previous day. Since the 16th, CARH has been conducting the '2nd detailed and clinical inspection' on a total of 397 farms, including 395 pig farms in 14 cities and counties in northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces and adjacent areas, as well as 2 farms in Icheon linked epidemiologically to the confirmed farm on the 9th.

The detailed inspection involved collecting samples from pigs, while the clinical examination was conducted by veterinarians visiting the pigsties directly. As of the 20th, telephone surveillance of 1,245 pig farms in Gyeonggi and Gangwon regions found no suspected cases of African Swine Fever. CARH plans to conduct a '3rd detailed inspection' by the 26th to quickly detect and respond to any potentially infected animals.

Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Kim Hyun-soo (left) is conducting a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for African Swine Fever (ASF). This meeting, chaired by Minister Kim Hyun-soo, head of the Central Headquarters, has been held daily since the 8th.

In addition, disinfection status is being checked at 256 border area pig farms that own sow rearing facilities (modonsa). Modonsa are highly vulnerable to contamination due to frequent entry and exit of multiple farm personnel and equipment. Both farms recently affected in Hwacheon had ASF cases in pigs within their modonsa. When farm workers submit photos showing disinfection of modonsa while wearing protective gear such as quarantine suits, gloves, boots, and hats, local officials or branch heads of the Korea Pork Producers Association request improvements if any deficiencies are found. So far, all farms have been confirmed to be properly disinfecting their modonsa.

About 550 personnel have been deployed in 11 cities and counties in northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces. This includes 455 search personnel (318 from the Ministry of Environment search teams and 137 military personnel) and 102 disinfection personnel who have been searching for wild boar carcasses and disinfecting their habitats.

To preemptively block the domestic outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI), CARH has also developed customized biosecurity management plans considering the characteristics of 11 concentrated layer hen complexes vulnerable to infection. Risk factors for each complex were analyzed to create management plans that include common measures such as operating control posts, inspecting quarantine facilities, daily road disinfection, and establishing a lime belt. Furthermore, CARH has designated the period from the 21st to the end of February as a special quarantine period, during which the entrances and surrounding roads of 4,415 cattle farms in 14 border area cities and counties will be intensively disinfected by cooperative disinfection vehicles from the NongHyup joint control team.

Kim Hyunsoo, head of CARH, said at a quarantine status meeting on the 20th, "We must eliminate blind spots in quarantine by thoroughly analyzing all routes through which contaminants can travel from the environment to farms," and urged, "Although it may be inconvenient for farms, please remember that only through thorough quarantine measures can our livestock industry be sustained, and work hard on blocking infections."