China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs reported that there are outbreaks of the African swine fever in Shaanxi and Guizhou provinces on Monday. According to the ministry's statement, two new outbreaks were reported to spread in the Shenmu city of Shaanxi and the in the Guiyang city of Guizhou province.
The outbreak killed 19 of 33 pigs on a farm in Shaanxi and 5 of 26 pigs in Guiyang city. The ministry released a statement that they will ban pig farming in places that are inhabited by wild boars to control the spread of the fast-spreading virus. Since early August, the top pork producer reported more than 80 outbreaks of the virus all over the country. There are 17 provinces and four municipalities in the country that has reports of outbreaks of the pig killing disease.
Chinese officials extended extra effort to control the spread but the disease continued its fast geographic spread. Recently, the Midwest Pork Conference convened in Indiana. During the event, Bret Marsh, a US state veterinarian, offered his insight regarding the situation in China. He said that Chinese officials hoped that with all their effort, they could contain the virus. The disease, however, continued to spread in the country's provinces.
Marsh emphasized the role of the producers as observers of their pigs. He said that they need to check things that are out of the ordinary. He said that the disease will not give signs like blisters on the snout or at the top of the hoof like other diseases. He said that the producers know their swine since they are with them every day. He added that they know if unusual events are occurring in their farms. He emphasized that producers need to have a good relationship with their veterinarian.
Aside from the contagious African swine fever, the country is also battling other foreign animal diseases like the foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease. There are reports of infection of the disease in the Xinjiang province in northwest China. According to reports, 108 pigs were infected and 46 died during the outbreak. There cases also of classical swine fever within the country's borders. Vaccines are already given to the pigs to control its spread but the region is still not free of the disease.
The African swine fever is also spreading in Europe at a slow pace. There is limited spread in Belgium. It is also wide spreading in Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Moldova, Hungary, Romania, the Baltics, and Bulgaria.
