PETALING JAYA: No new pigs are allowed until Selangor is free from African Swine Fever (ASF), said Selangor Veterinary Services Department Director Dr Hassuzana Khalil.

The ban on new pigs is to eradicate AFS, she said.

Pig farms in Selangor were deemed high risk because of inadequate biosecurity measures and their close proximity to one another, making it easier for the disease to spread, she said.

“It is expected that ASF infections will continue since there is currently no available vaccine for the disease,” she said.

All affected farms in the state have been ordered to undergo disinfection to mitigate the spread.

Dr Hassuzana said the department had opened seven probe papers under Sections 34 and 36 of the Animals Act 1953 following Op ASF, an operation conducted in outbreak areas.

So far, 14,000 pigs of various categories have been culled.

Dr Hassuzana said the animals were culled using carbon dioxide gas while the carcasses were buried on pig farms in line with set guidelines.

“The culling process at infected farms is costly and requires a large workforce, involving cooperation from other state veterinary services department offices and the Veterinary Services Headquarters in Putrajaya,” she said.

A total of 58 farms in Sepang and Kuala Langat saw outbreaks of ASF where the farms were ordered to cull the animals to curtail the spread of the disease.

Dr Hassuzana also said that pigs from 52 ASF-negative farms were permitted for slaughter at licensed abattoirs, subject to strict regulations of Selangor Department of Veterinary Services.

“Among the conditions imposed is strict compliance with designated transport routes, ensuring that pig transport vehicles only travel to licensed abattoirs,” she said.