Agriculture Ministry Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Operates 24 Hours
Jung Hwang-geun: "Two Weeks Including Holidays Are Critical for Quarantine"
[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] The government will operate the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Central Accident Response Headquarters situation room 24 hours a day during the Lunar New Year holiday to prevent the spread of avian influenza (AI) and African swine fever (ASF). The government expects about two weeks around the Lunar New Year holiday to be a critical period for AI and ASF prevention.
According to related ministries on the 22nd, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will operate the high pathogenic AI and ASF Central Accident Response Headquarters situation room 24 hours a day during the Lunar New Year holiday. The situation room will check the status of livestock infectious disease outbreaks and quarantine progress daily during the holiday in cooperation with local governments and related agencies. Accordingly, local governments nationwide will also maintain a 24-hour emergency duty system during this holiday period for livestock quarantine.
The reason the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs operates the situation room 24 hours a day during the holiday is that the spread of highly pathogenic AI usually intensifies before and after holidays. This Lunar New Year holiday, there is also concern that the AI infection rate will soar due to large-scale movement of vehicles and returning visitors. A ministry official explained, "Recently, during winter, ASF first occurred at pig farms in Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, and Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon Province, raising concerns about livestock infectious disease outbreaks," adding, "Local governments have also decided to strengthen quarantine measures during the Lunar New Year holiday."
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to disinfect livestock farms twice daily as a priority. In particular, disinfection vehicles will focus on vulnerable quarantine areas such as migratory bird habitats, roads adjacent to ASF detection areas, traditional markets, and densely populated layer hen farms.
They will also inspect quarantine conditions in regions with many highly pathogenic AI cases such as Gyeonggi, Chungnam, and Sejong. High-risk farms, including 10 densely populated layer hen complexes and 144 large-scale layer hen farms, will be subject to inspection. The ministry will also check the management status of sow pigsties vulnerable to ASF at pig farms nationwide.
The quarantine results of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs are expected to be determined within the next two weeks. At a quarantine inspection meeting on the 19th, Minister Jeong Hwang-geun said, "The next two weeks, including the Lunar New Year holiday period, are critical for quarantine," and emphasized, "We must respond with full force to quarantine with vigilance."
Avian Influenza Antigen Detected in Gijang-gun, Busan...Emergency Quarantine(Busan=Yonhap News) Reporter Kang Deok-cheol = On December 20, last year, H5-type AI (Avian Influenza) antigen was detected at a farm in Gijang-gun, Busan, and quarantine work is underway. 2022.12.20
kangdcc@yna.co.kr
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