Gyeonggi-do Strengthens African Swine Fever Prevention During Chuseok Holiday

Quarantine Training

Gyeonggi Province is implementing special quarantine management to prevent African Swine Fever (ASF) during the Chuseok holiday.

Gyeonggi Province has decided to focus all efforts on preventing African Swine Fever, as the increased population movement during Chuseok and farming activities raise the likelihood of the virus entering farms.

First, Gyeonggi Province will intensively promote through village broadcasts, banners, text messages, and electronic billboards in major road tunnels the following: ▲ refraining from visiting farms and entering mountains ▲ disinfecting inside and outside pig farms ▲ prohibiting feeding wild animals such as leaving food after ancestral rites ▲ reporting procedures for wild boar carcasses.

In particular, the days before and after the Chuseok holiday (September 27 and October 4) will be designated as nationwide disinfection days, during which disinfection will be conducted at livestock-related facilities such as pig farms and slaughterhouses.

Separately, to enhance the rapid initial response capability of personnel in charge and the cooperation system among agencies in the event of livestock infectious disease outbreaks, on the 25th of this month, a ‘Livestock Infectious Disease Personnel On-site Response Training’ will be held at the base disinfection facility located in Tanhyeon-myeon, Paju. Participants will include Gyeonggi Province, northern regional cities and counties, the Livestock Cooperative, and the Livestock Hygiene and Quarantine Support Headquarters.

Choi Kyung-mook, Director of the Animal Quarantine and Hygiene Division of Gyeonggi Province, said, "Based on past cases, the period before and after Chuseok is a time of very high risk for the virus entering farms." He added, "Since a 24-hour emergency contact system will be maintained during the Chuseok holiday, please promptly report any suspected livestock to the quarantine authorities."

Meanwhile, since the first occurrence of African Swine Fever in Korea in September 2019, there have been 37 cases in 14 cities and counties nationwide. Recently, an outbreak occurred on July 18 at a pig farm in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province. In Gyeonggi Province, 17 cases occurred up to April this year, with no additional cases since then.