GEORGE TOWN: A pig farm in South Seberang Prai has been sealed off and its pigs culled after an African Swine Fever (ASF) case was detected at the farm.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said that the pigs were culled on Friday (Jan 6) and buried at the farm to ensure that the infection is contained.
"The entire farm has been sealed and the pigs are culled and buried on-site. We want to prevent the infection from spreading to other pig farms.
"The matter is being undertaken by the state Veterinary Services Department," he said to the press after the swearing-in ceremony of the Penang Island City councillors for the year 2023 held at the Esplanade.
Chow said the state government has engaged and advised pig farmers in Penang to take precautionary measures when the ASF outbreak hit other states around two months ago.
"Despite all the precautionary measures, it still happened and we have recorded one ASF case in South Seberang Prai.
"Several other measures such as stopping interstate transportation of pigs have been enforced by the state Veterinary Services Department since the outbreak," he said.
ASF is a highly contagious and deadly swine disease that can affect both farm-raised and feral (wild) pigs.
ASF does not infect people, but it is passed from one pig to another by direct contact with bodily fluids from an infected pig.
The practice of feeding uncooked food waste (that has not been appropriately heat treated) to pigs can also result in transmission of the virus if the food waste is contaminated.
