KOTA KINABALU: Ten Sabah districts have been found with the African swine fever (ASF) so far, with the latest case detected in the interior Nabawan district.
Other districts previously affected include Pitas, Kota Marudu, Beluran, Telupid, Kinabatangan, Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Tawau and Tongod.
Deputy chief minister Jeffrey Kitingan said that at least one ASF case had been reported in Nabawan thus far.
Kitingan, who is also state agriculture and fisheries minister, said that as at April 18, a total of 169 wild bearded pigs had been confirmed positive for ASF.
“In addition, we have culled 398 backyard (domesticated) pigs while 535 others have died because of the disease,” he said in a statement here today.
“The department (of veterinary services) has conducted 234 awareness campaigns in 14 districts, not only to educate the public about the disease, but also to highlight the government’s efforts to keep it from spreading to other districts.
“Although Sandakan has been declared an ASF outbreak district, the disease has not spread to the district’s main pork production farms.”
Nonetheless, Kitingan said the department had implemented new regulations to protect commercial pigs, including special permits issued by the state DVS to allow live pigs and pork products to be moved from one area to another.
According to the new SOP to control ASF, any outlet selling pork that is found to be infected with the virus will be closed for one day for decontamination.
Pork products will only be sold after the area is declared free of the disease.
Besides that, pig farms suspected of being the source of the infected pork will be quarantined for up to seven days.
“Once again, I want to reassure consumers that, while this virus is fatal to swines, it is completely harmless to humans,” Kitingan said.