SEREMBAN – The Negri Sembilan Veterinary Services Department has advised the public, especially wild boar hunters and swine breeders, to quickly report the death of any wild boar or commercially reared pig to the authorities.
Department director Dr Kamarulrizal Mat Isa said this after a positive African swine fever (ASF) case was detected involving a dead male wild boar, which was reported by a worker at an oil palm plantation at Ladang Sengkang, Pasir Panjang, Port Dickson on January 3.
He said early notification will enable the department to take immediate action to prevent the spread of the disease in the state as the ASF virus can survive for long periods in tissues of infected animals.
“The bone samples obtained from the decomposed boar were found to be positive for ASF disease.
“ASF infection involving the dead wild boar may still occur because it is difficult to control, but efforts to control the spread to commercially-reared pigs are being actively carried out by the department,” he said.
Kamarulrizal, however, said the ASF disease infection in Negri Sembilan is under control as only one death case involving wild boars or commercially reared pigs has been reported so far.
“There were three ASF cases reported last year, two involving wild boars in Kuala Pilah and Tampin, and one at an unlicenced farm in Port Dickson,” he said.
He said the public need not worry as ASF is a non-zoonotic disease that does not affect humans either through direct contact with the infected animal or by consuming pork from ASF-infected pigs.
The notification letter on the case had been distributed to all district and state veterinary service offices, as well as the Wildlife and National Parks Department of Peninsular Malaysia, which has imposed a temporary ban on wild boar hunting activities as part of control measures, he added.
Kamarulrizal also reminded swine breeders to be vigilant and improve biosecurity on their farms to prevent the spread of the disease. – Bernama, January 28, 2023
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