New Zealand gets scared of ASF
As African Swine Fever spreads across many Asian and European countries, pig owners in New Zealand are being reminded to be vigilant with biosecurity and not feed pigs uncooked meat. Infected meat imported or brought in the country from regions where the ASF virus is confirmed poses a real danger for the meat industry. And it is not only the Africa Swine Fever that can be spread this way but also diseases such as BSE and FMD.
“This highlights the dangers of waste feeding to any class of livestock, as contaminated food is the same transmission pathway for diseases like BSE and Foot and Mouth Disease. Many farmers rear pigs, typically for their consumption. We are asking pig owners and hunters to be extra vigilant for signs of illness or sudden death in pigs, observe good hygienic practices, and comply with animal feeding regulations,” explained Will Halliday, Senior Biosecurity Advisor from Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
The feeding of contaminated imported meat has been identified as an extremely important risk for the introduction of Foot and Mouth Disease into NZ. BSE was found to be spread among farms in the UK by the feeding of ruminant protein to cows, a practice that is prohibited in NZ and the reason for warning labels on some commercial horse and poultry feeds. Any food waste must be heated to 100 degrees for one hour before being fed to pigs.
Farmers traveling to countries with ASF should stay away from pigs and not come into contact with pigs for at least five days after returning home. While deadly to pigs, ASF poses no threat to human health. The virus can survive for months on equipment, boots and clothing so good cleaning, disinfecting and drying practices should be followed, particularly when moving between farms. Recently, East Timor was affected by the disease and as the small Southeast Asian country is located only a few hundred miles away from Australia the alarm was triggered in the region.
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