Indonesia has become the latest Asian country facing an African swine fever epidemic, a deadly pig virus that has been wreaking havoc on farms and piggeries across the world.
About 30,000 pigs died from the disease in North Sumatra on Wednesday, the Ministry of Agriculture of the country said. More than half of China's pig population is predicted to be wiped out by the virus this year.
Australia has become increasingly concerned and has stepped up biosecurity measures to prevent swine fever. Although it is harmless to humans, the disease can kill pigs within a few days and, according to the World Organization for Animal Health, the death rate can be as high as 100 percent.
The virus is particularly resilient and can live without a host for seven days and in frozen pork products for months.
Alarming Spread
The biggest impact so far was in China, but South East Asia's spread of the virus was also alarming.
Vietnam and the Philippines saw some of the region's worst outbreaks. Rabobank analysts expect Vietnam's pork production to decline this year by 21 percent and next year by an additional 8 percent.
In 2020, the Philippines could see a decline of 13 percent in its pig herd, she said. This year, Rabobank put China's herd loss at 55 percent.
Indonesia's Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo said the virus has been detected in parts of North Sumatra to reporters so far.
"There is a great deal of severe treatment, including the isolation of these areas," Limpo said. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the disease has also been found in Burma, Cambodia, South Korea, North Korea, Myanmar and East Timor.
Throughout parts of Eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, the agriculture department said the disease is also present outside of Asia.
Major Damage
Australia, known for its stringent biosecurity controls, is investing an estimated $66 million ($45 million) on measures to contain the virus. Recent seizures, however, illustrate the task's complexity.
Over the past six months, 32 tons of pork products were confiscated from passenger bags and shipped packages by Australian authorities.
"Of that, 50 percent had African swine fever parts," said Margo Andrae, Australian Pork Limited's chief executive.
Australian Pork Limited predicts that an outbreak could cost the industry around A$2 billion in damages, affecting 36,000 people.
Significantly, in Darwin, Australia has stepped up quarantine measures - the main entry point for East Timor airlines, which recently declared an outbreak of swine fever.
