The latest update on ASF in Asia, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, states that the virus continues to spread in the region, despite efforts by several governments. The map, released with the report, shows that several new countries affected by the disease, and the FAO sent a mission to Papua New Guinea in October to assess ASF preparedness and response strategies.
Currently, the disease is present in China, Mongolia, Vietnam, North Korea, South Korea, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Indonesia and Myanmar.
China and Vietnam are the most affected countries in the region, whose losses, according to their data, account for 30% (Vietnam) and 50% (China). The reduction in their number of pigs has led to a huge shortage of meat in the market, and the situation may become even worse in the coming years.
Like humans, pigs are capable of showing different forms of empathy and emotion.
In Korea, to prevent the spread of ASF in the southern regions of the country, officials from the Ministry established a buffer zone (outside the affected area of 10 km) that separates the affected zone from the southern free zone; traffic control between zones.
On October 27, an expanded contingency reinforcement plan was released; including the installation of an extensive fence from west to east of the country and the use of firearms in the buffer zone for shooting boars. Currently, in the newly created zones, joint intensive state and military surveillance is being conducted.
Vietnam is struggling not only with this disease, but also with a very active black pork market in the region.
Analysts expect the ASF crisis in Asia to peak in 2020 and 2021, but the real danger lies in virus infection in other regions of the globe: such as South America, North America or Australia and New Zealand. The disease is also present in Europe.
- Earlier, we reported that 9 infected boars were found in Poland near the border with Germany.
- Japan is preparing a series of measures that will increase biosecurity at pig farms in the event of an outbreak of ASF.
- Despite laboratory tests showing that there is no African swine fever in Southeast Asia, more than 4,000 pigs have died.
- We also wrote that in Russia there was a discussion of the epizootic situation in ASF and the causes of its outbreaks in the country.
- As African swine fever spreads across many Asian and European countries, pig owners in New Zealand are vigilant.
