On Tuesday, the Indonesian authorities confirmed that pigs supplied to Singapore from a farm were infected with the African swine fever (ASF) virus. The pig samples from Pulab Bulan, located in Riau Islands province, comprise about 15% of Singapore’s total pork supply.
According to a veterinary authority official, a new strain of the virus might have infected the pigs, as the symptoms varied from previous cases found in other parts of Indonesia. The infected pigs did not experience diarrhoea or bleeding, and they might have been infected by migrating boars or crows from nearby islands.
The farm has been closed, and all live pigs and fresh pork shipments from the island have been suspended. Singapore Food Agency (SFA) already stopped the import of pigs from the island last month. Due to the current situation, there will be temporary disruptions to the supply of freshly slaughtered pork from April 23 onwards, according to SFA.
The agency is working closely with the abattoir to sanitise the premises and surrounding environment after the slaughter of pigs currently at the abattoir has been completed, as well as to maintain the biosecurity measures at the abattoir.
African swine fever (ASF) is a highly virulent and contagious disease in pigs whose mortality rate can reach 100 per cent. The disease does not infect humans. According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), ASF has become a major crisis for the pork industry in recent years.
There is no effective vaccine for the disease, and it not only affects the animal’s health but also has a detrimental impact on biodiversity. The WOAH has stated in its advisory that the virus is highly resistant in the environment, meaning that it can survive on clothes, boots, wheels, and other materials.
It can also survive in various pork products, such as ham, sausages, or bacon. The disease has reached multiple countries across Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Pacific, affecting both domestic and wild pigs.
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