Sri Lanka: ASF virus reaches 21st country in Asia

African Swine Fever (ASF) has reached the 21st country in Asia: Sri Lanka. Local news outlets had already been reporting the death of pigs, and so had the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Formal confirmation has followed now by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). A recent WOAH report speaks of 3 infections on farms, which all started on 25 October 2024. All 3 were found in the west of the country within a 100 km radius from the capital Colombo. The largest of the 3 was a farm in Madampe in the North Western Province, in Puttalam district, straight to the north of Colombo. Here, the virus emerged on a farm with 855 pigs. In total, 301 pigs had died. A farm in Bollaththa, Ganemulla in the Western Province, in Gampaha district, reported an outbreak in a farm with 564 pigs, of which 91 animals had perished. This farm is located in the outskirts of metropolitan Colombo, with almost 6 million inhabitants. A 3rd farm was also found positive in Ja-ela, Western ...