August 19, 2022

 

More than 30,000 pigs culled in Sarawak, Malaysia, to control ASF

A total of 32,204 pigs in Sarawak, Malaysia have been culled this year as of August 16 to curb the spread of African swine fever (ASF), said Dato Sri Dr. Stephen Rundi Utom.

 

The Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development Minister said to curb the spread of the ASF from one division to another, Section 36 of the Veterinary Public Health Ordinance 1999 has been used, to control livestock movements.

 

"The Test and Slaughter Procedure has been implemented, where this procedure only allows registered pig farms and having a movement permit, to send respective pigs to slaughter house to be tested and marked before slaughter for sale," said Dr. Utom. "Continuous monitoring of slaughtering activities in unregistered abattoirs carried out. As of August, four compounds have been issued for offences under Section 60 of the Veterinary Public Health Ordinance 1999 for slaughtering pigs in an unlicensed slaughterhouse."

 

Dr. Rundi was responding to Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen's media statement that the Sarawak government should be truthful and open on the status of the ASF control measures.

 

Chong claimed that the disease was actually out of control, despite repeated claims by the state government to the contrary.

 

Dr. Rundi said the ban on the import of pork and pork-based products from areas infected with ASF disease has been enforced and implemented under Section 9 (1) of the Veterinary Public Health Ordinance 1999.

 

However, he noted smuggling activities and non-compliance with this prohibition still happened.

 

"A total of 210kg of pork-based products were seized on arrival at the airport in Sarawak until May 2022.

 

"Pork-based food products such as canned pork stew are allowed to enter with consignment condition to undergo a Hold-Test-Release test to guarantee imported products are free from ASF virus contamination.

 

"As of this August, two consignments have been rejected due to positive detection of ASF virus contamination by laboratory tests," he said.

 

Additionally, Dr. Rundi pointed out that engagement sessions with relevant agencies were conducted before the outbreak.

 

Port operators and airlines have also been given exposure and measures to curb the entry of this disease, said Dr Rundi.

 

"The State Disaster Management Committee has been informed about the development the spread of this disease on August 16, 2021, through weekly meetings and all agencies under the committee have been instructed to assist DVSS in curbing efforts this disease," he added.

 

Furthermore, he said DVSS had implemented control measures control to curb the entry of disease and carry out surveillance activities as well as an ASF disease awareness campaign, which also included foot and mouth disease (FMD), since March 2021.

 

Dr. Rundi also noted that "The state government has given approval to pay compassionate assistance to farmers affected by pigs disposed of, for control and eradication of ASF disease".

 

He added: "As of Aug 16, 2022, a total of 32,204 pigs have been disposed of. It is reported that this introduced strategy has successfully controlled this disease in Limbang and Kapit Divisions, where no new cases were reported.

 

"However, this disease was detected in Serian and Kuching Divisions and both have been announced as an ASF disease control area on June 14, 2022, due to biosecurity poor farms ranked by breeders."

 

Dr. Rundi pointed out the outbreak of ASF started to spread in Lawas District, Limbang Division, around July 2021 due to wild boar hunting activities on the Sarawak-Kalimantan border.

 

"The ASF cases in Sabah and in Nunukan and Krayan regions in North Kalimantan are believed to be the cause of the spread of the epidemic to Sarawak where it caused some divisions declared ASF control areas, starting from Limbang and Miri in July 2021," he said noting that the control order is implemented under Section 35 (1) (b) of the Public Health Ordinance Veterinary 1999.

 

"As of (August 18), cases of ASF have been reported to occur in several divisions in Sarawak that is from backyard farms in villages/longhouse and also commercial farms," Dr. Rundi said. "Wild boar hunting activities near the border and breeders' poor farm biosecurity are the main cause of infection. Usually, the case index started to be reported in villages adjacent/close to the border before spreading to other areas."

 

- Borneo Post