December 24, 2019

Japan expands hog cholera vaccinations

Vaccinations for swine against hog cholera will cover Tokyo and seven prefectures, next to the 12 prefectures which have reported positive cases of the disease, reported The Japan Times.

The Farm Ministry said vaccinations will commence late December 2019 in Tokyo, Niigata, Kanagawa, Kyoto and Nara. In February 2020, vaccinations will be conducted in Chiba, Ibaraki and Tochigi.

Japan confirmed its first hog cholera case in September 2018 in the Gifu prefecture, 26 years since the disease was first discovered in the country. Vaccinations have commenced in October 2019, the first time in 13 years.

Swine culls have been conducted in 12 prefectures to curb the spread of the disease.

Hog cholera is also known as classical swine fever. It is different to the African swine fever outbreak occurring in China and large parts of Asia.

The ministry had limited vaccinations to the 12 prefectures with confirmed cases due to low stocks, but have now expanded vaccinations as manufacturers have increased vaccine productions. Current stocks are able to vaccinate 2.5 million swine by end 2019.

-      The Japan Times