MELAKA: Paya Mengkuang here, where many pig farms are located, has been declared an African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak site, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.

       He said the move was to contain the spread of ASF at commercial pig farms in Masjid Tanah.

       “The restriction on livestock movement is indefinite and will only be lifted after the Veterinary Services Department declares that the area is safe,” he said on Thursday (Jan 13).

       Sulaiman said the movement restriction would only be enforced on 35 pig farms and not the village.

       “There will be stringent checks on the movement of livestock at the site.

       “Monitoring, clinical inspection and sampling in all farms in the infection area have also been heightened,” he added.

       In December, the department declared an ASF outbreak in seven commercial pig farms in Paya Mengkuang.

       Its director-general Datuk Dr Norlizan Mohd Noor said this was after it investigated reports from pig farms and the Sepang veterinary laboratory confirmed samples had the ASF virus on Dec 20, 22 and 23.