GEORGE TOWN: Penang has approved the gazetting of the African Swine Fever (ASF) Disease Control Order to curb the spread of ASF in the state.
State Agrotechnology and Food Safety, Rural Development and Health Committee chairman Dr Norlela Ariffin(pix) said the gazetting was approved yesterday in the state executive council meeting after taking into account several ASF-related factors.
“The exco meeting yesterday approved the gazetting, among others (because) there is a commercial pig farm in Perak that was already infected with ASF.
“The gazetting of this order will give the Penang Veterinary Services Department (DVS) more comprehensive powers to immediately control the spread of ASF in pig farms as stated in Section 36 of the Animals Act 1953 (Act 647),“ she said in a statement here today.
Previously, DVS confirmed that ASF had been detected in wild boar in Bidor and Sungkai in Perak, and Jerantut in Pahang and the latest positive case was detected on March 28 at a commercial pig farm in Bidor.
Meanwhile, Penang DVS director Dr Saira Banu Mohamed Rejab said based on its monitoring, no cases of ASF infection had been detected so far in pig farms in the state.-Bernama
