ASF (African swine fever) continues in Asia: 13 countries and at least 8 million pigs affected

A summary of the situation of African swine fever in Asia and the Pacific, presented at the recent meeting of the standing group of experts on African swine fever.

At the virtual meeting of the permanent African Swine Fever expert group (SGE ASF16), participating member countries presented their national epidemiological situation in relation to ASF The presentation is summarized below, "African Swine Fever in Asia and the Pacific and SGE-ASF for Asia", presented by Yooni Oh, Regional Coordinator of the FAO RAP Project.

In November 2020, a total of 13 countries in the Asia-Pacific region had officially notified the presence of ASF (China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, North Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, South Korea, East Timor and Indonesia ; Papua New Guinea and India reported for the first time in 2020).

At least 8 million pigs have died or been euthanized, although the actual number is likely to be much higher. South Korea continues to report cases on wild boars. Myanmar has reported a new case in the Sagaing region. In Indonesia, pig deaths suspected of being caused by ASF have been detected in Nias, North / South Sumatra, Bali and East Nusa Tenggara. East Timor currently has a total of 126 active outbreaks in the country, with 7 of the 13 cities affected.

Several challenges have been identified with regard to the control of ASF in Asia. There is a high density of pig population in East and Southeast Asia. The region has a large number of small properties with little bio-safety. Value chains are complex and operate across national borders. Cultural practices related to pig use and food consumption can create additional risk pathways. Finally, globalization has made it easier for people and products to travel quickly and over long distances.