In the Philippines and Vietnam, the battle to control ASF is ongoing, while Russia and South Africa also report new cases in domestic pigs.
Between mid-February and the second week of June, 20 African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks were confirmed on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
A total of 10,690 pigs were lost to the disease through mortality and culling, according to the latest official report to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Infections occurred across eight Luzon provinces, reports the Department of Agriculture.
Majority of the outbreaks afflicted backyard herds, but three occurred on farms — two in Pangasinan province (with 1,933 and 3,116 animals), and a smaller one in La Union (250).
ASF is still troubling Luzon, with three of the latest outbreaks confirmed in the past month — one in each of the provinces of Rizal and Quezon, as well as at the farm in La Union.
Since the country’s first ever ASF cases at the end of July 2019, OIE has registered a total of 343 outbreaks, which have led to the loss of almost 287,000 pigs up to June 25.
As well as Luzon, multiple outbreaks of ASF have occurred on the island of Mindanao. However, the Department of Agriculture recently reported that there had been no new cases of ASF on that island. Since the disease was first confirmed there in January, a total of eight outbreaks involving more than 24,000 pigs in three provinces have been reported to the OIE.
Vietnam’s ASF battle continues
According to the latest report received by the OIE, a further 181 ASF outbreaks have been confirmed in Vietnam. More than 6,000 pigs — described as belonging to village herds — have been lost to the disease in the period from April 15 to July 1.
Reports from the agriculture ministry point to the outbreaks being widespread. Occurring in northern and southern provinces, latest cases cover five of the country’s eight regions. Worst affected are the Northeastern and Northwestern regions, but there were also cases in six provinces in the Mekong Delta region, and one in the rarely-affected Central Highlands.
Similar to the Philippines, new outbreaks in Vietnam continue to be revealed. Of the 181 outbreaks recently confirmed, 37 occurred since the beginning of June.
Vietnam has been battling to control ASF since the first cases were confirmed in February 2019. Up to the end of June, 8,793 outbreaks had been reported to the OIE, across all of the country’s regions. More than 1,700 of these outbreaks are regarded as ongoing. Direct losses through mortality or culling exceed 5.9 million pigs.
3 more outbreaks in Russia’s Far Eastern federal district
Over the past week, Russia’s veterinary authority has confirmed three new ASF outbreaks to the OIE.
Affecting a total of 38 pigs, two of the backyard herds were in Primorskiy krai, and one in Yevreyskaya (Jewish Autonomous Oblast).
New cases in South African village herds
Total outbreaks of ASF in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province has risen to four. Over the past week, the agriculture department has confirmed to the OIE three more outbreaks, affecting a total of 125 pigs.
As with the first outbreak in the province in April, the animals belonged to village herds in the municipality of Mnquma.
China lifts ASF restrictions in Yunnan province
Restrictions on pig movements have been lifted in Yongsheng county in the Lijiang city region, reports the agriculture ministry. Easing of the controls came after a 21-day period when no new ASF cases were detected in the area.
At the end of May, the ASF virus was detected after most of a herd of around 100 pigs died in the area. The infection was blamed on illegal movements of pigs and/or the introduction of new animals.
ASF confirmed in more South Korean wild boar
Over the past week, South Korea’s agriculture ministry has confirmed to the OIE the deaths of a further 11 wild boar from ASF.
Nine of these animals were found in Yeoncheon county in Gyeonggi province. One was from Pocheon county in the same province, and one from Hwacheon in Gangwon province.
The latest cases will bring South Korea’s total number of ASF-infected wild boar since September to around 650. Almost all were located in the border area in the north of the country.
View our continuing coverage of the global African swine fever situation.
