Deputy chief minister Jeffrey Kitingan said the virus was first detected on Dec 14 and had spread to five villages in the Inobong, Sugud and Koidupan areas in the district.

“The cases involved a total of 229 backyard pigs owned by six different owners. The loss is estimated to be as high as RM115,000,” he said in a statement here today.

Kitingan, who is also state agriculture and fisheries minister, said Penampang, which is the sister district to the state capital, has two commercial pig farms with an estimated 2,900 pigs.

In order to prevent the disease from spreading to nearby districts, he said the ministry through the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) would conduct awareness campaigns in Penampang to ensure that the people were well-informed about ASF.

The department would also monitor and control the movement of pigs and pork products to ensure that none leave the district for the time being.

Since the ASF outbreak was first declared last year, 10 districts have been declared ASF-free after 60 days had passed since the last case was reported. The districts are Kota Marudu, Pitas, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Beluran, Telupid, Tongod, Tawau, Lahad Datu and Semporna.

“The government is aware of the people’s anxiety, particularly with Chinese New Year just around the corner. However, we remain optimistic that pork supply in Sabah will be sufficient to meet demand,” Kitingan said.