After a confirmed case of African swine fever (ASF) emerged at a pig farm in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, the Central Disaster Management Headquarters said on the 25th that it held a headquarters meeting chaired by Vice Minister Kim Jong-gu of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to review quarantine measures.
Following Gangneung, Gangwon Province, and Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, ASF also occurred additionally in Pocheon. The number of cases this year has risen to three.
The headquarters decided to carry out nationwide intensive disinfection to sanitize the inside and outside of pig farms, worker dormitories, and items, and to promote participation certification.
Focusing on pig farms in the high-risk border areas of Gyeonggi and Gangwon, it will expand inspections and disinfection resources and, in cooperation with the Ministry of National Defense, strengthen quarantine activities.
In affected zones such as Incheon and Gyeonggi and within a 10-kilometer radius of affected farms, it will conduct daily telephone surveillance targeting control zones and epidemiologically related farms, and plans to impose penalties if farm workers fall short in quarantine management.
The Vice Minister said, "Local governments and farmers nationwide should strengthen farm biosecurity and disinfection of major roads," and added, "Mobilize all available resources and make every effort in disinfection, inspections, and testing to block additional occurrences."