TASEK GELUGOR: Pig farmers and traders in Penang, especially in Kampung Selamat here, were reminded not to misuse the Movement Permission Account (AKP) or transfer permits by using the names of other farms to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF).
Penang Veterinary Services Department (JPVPP) director Dr Saira Banu Mohamed Rejab said they are also prohibited from moving sick pigs or those confirmed positive for the disease to slaughterhouses.
"Such actions are not only against the law but also pose a high risk of spreading ASF infections to other farms and areas, as currently the infected pigs are under control, and we hope no further spread occurs.
"JPVPP has strengthened the enforcement and monitoring of slaughterhouses, while also conducting continuous surveillance to ensure that other farms remain ASF-free," she told Bernama on Wednesday (Aug 20).
She said so far, four farms in Kampung Selamat have been confirmed positive for ASF, and 21 pig samples from slaughterhouses have also tested positive for ASF.
Saira Banu added that investigations and sampling revealed that all farms linked to positive cases at slaughterhouses were negative at the farm level, except for one farm in Kampung Selamat.
However, she said pigs confirmed positive at that farm did not show any symptoms or clinical signs of ASF, and the herd was quarantined for 14 days, with repeat tests returning negative results.
"Therefore, the number of ASF-positive farms remains at four, and so far, 351 pigs have died on the farms, while 1,709 pigs have been culled using CO₂ gas across the four ASF-positive farms," she said.
On July 12, three pig farms in Kampung Selamat were confirmed positive for ASF based on laboratory test results by the Northern Region Veterinary Laboratory, with two of them recording high mortality rates before another farm was confirmed infected on July 27.
Kampung Selamat has 63 pig farms with about 120,000 hogs.- Bernama
