Pig farmers in Doi Saket district of Chiang Mai Province have been ordered, by livestock development officials, not to move their pigs off their farms, as a precautionary measure to prevent the possible spread of African Swine Fever (ASF).
According to the Chiang Mai Livestock Office, officials were sent to a pig farm in Pa Pong sub-district earlier this month, after they were alerted by a farmer to the death of a few pigs, which had exhibited symptoms similar to those associated with ASF.
Random blood tests on the rest of the pigs on the farm did not detect any ASF virus, but livestock officials explained that the viral load may be too small to be detected.
On November 11th, another pig in the district fell sick and died, but the farm’s owner refused to let officials test the other pigs on his farm.
Another pig died on November 21st, prompting livestock officials to visit the farm to test a sick animal, which detected DNA of the ASF virus by real time PCR.
Proper disposal of the pig carcasses was ordered, as was a thorough disinfection of the farm in question.
Livestock officials then ordered all pig farms within a five-kilometre radius of the farm in question not to move their animals off of their farms until further notice.
