IPOH: More than 3,700 pigs in Perak have been infected with African Swine Fever (ASF).

       State agriculture and food industry committee chairman Razman Zakaria said the cases were first detected at a farm in Hilir Perak on March 27.

       “There were three farms infected with the virus. One is in Hilir Perak district and the other two in Batang Padang were detected on April 4.

       “Based on inspection conducted by the state Veterinary Services Department, as of April 10 over 990 pigs have been culled and buried according to standard operating procedure,” he told a press conference at his office at the State Secretariat Building here on Wednesday (April 13).

       Razman said the farm owners were issued quarantine notices under Section 18(3) of the Animal Act 1953 (Revised 2006),

       “These farms are not allowed to transfer their pigs or the carcasses in and out of their premises.

       “Six pig farms within a 5km radius of the epidemic area were also quarantined for further inspection and sampling. We have disposed of the infected pigs,” he said.

       Perak Veterinary Dept director Dr Ahmad Shafri Hassan, who was also present, said the cases would not affect the pork supply in Perak.

       “There are a total of 95 pig farms in Perak. The three affected farms contributed to less than 1% of the total pork supply.

       “Although the (outbreak) is only at three farms, our officers have inspected all the farms in the state and are monitoring the infected ones at all times.

       “The remaining infected pigs will be culled and buried by this week,” he said, adding that the total loss was estimated at more than RM2mil.

       On April 9, the Negri Sembilan Veterinary Services Department confirmed that ASF was detected at an unlicensed farm in Kampung Baru Tanah Merah Site A, Port Dickson after samples were taken from two of the 275 pigs there.

       Dr Ahmad Shafri said there had been no official request so far for Perak’s pork suppliers to provide stocks to Negri Sembilan.

       “According to the report we received from the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan), the cases were first detected among wild boar in Pahang and Perak. In Perak, the disease was detected at Sungkai which is not far from Bidor (in the Batang Padang district, where two of the affected farms are located).

       “If there is any claim that the case in Negri Sembilan is related to Perak, I can’t confirm that since we have not issued any permit in Negri Sembilan.

       “How did ASF reach there? I am not sure... perhaps there was illegal (transporting of pigs),” he said.