PETALING JAYA: Checks at pig farms in the country show no sign of African swine fever (ASF) thus far but the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) has imposed an import ban on pigs and pig products from China, Poland, Belgium, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia as a precautionary measure.
Its director-general Datuk Dr Quaza Nizamuddin Hassan Nizam said that clinical surveillance have been conducted at all commercial pig farms in eight states and up until now, all showed no signs of the virus.
Samples taken from 35 wild boars in six states in peninsular Malaysia also indicated that there was no ASF virus from the samples tested, he said in a statement yesterday.
However, as a precautionary measure, DVS has imposed an import ban on pigs and pig products from China, Poland, Belgium, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, said Dr Quaza.
He said the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services (Maqis) has tested and found no ASF virus detected on 180 pork and pork product samples that were imported from the countries that were affected by the virus.
The products were taken from Malaysia’s main entry points, Pelabuhan Kelang Barat, Pelabuhan Pasir Gudang and Bukit Kayu Hitam, and tested at the Animal Research Institute and other laboratories in the area.
“A table-top simulation of the ASF virus was also conducted on Feb 22 involving the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry, state DVS, Maqis, Malaysia Airports, and the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) to test the level of preparedness of each agency involved as well as to test a contingency plan that was developed in the event of an ASF virus outbreak,” he said.
According to a report in The Guardian, ASF continues to spread around the region despite the culling of millions of pigs in China and Vietnam.
It said Thailand was now on “red alert”, and experts also feared outbreaks in Myanmar, the Philippines and Laos.
