The African Swine Fever (ASF) virus continues its relentless march across Asia. Indonesia?s Minister of Agriculture confirms the country?s first outbreak of the virus in the far northwest part of the multi-island nation. The confirmation came on December 12 and wasn?t unexpected as increasing reports of pig deaths have come from that area, as well as several others, since late September.
The United Nation?s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is working with Indonesia?s director-general of Livestock and Animal Health Services. The nation?s animal health director asked the FAO to provide guidance on containment and control measures for the virus. Indonesia joins an unfortunate list of Asian countries with ASF outbreaks.
In a different part of the world, a pocket of the African Swine Fever virus in Poland is continuing to grow near the border with Germany throughout the past month. Even though the outbreak is 30 miles from Germany, which is the European Union?s top pork producer, the European Commission has extended Poland?s ASF control zone to the German border.
For German hog producers, the increasing number of positive ASF reports is very bad news. Some German producers and officials are asking Poland to construct a border-type wall to keep infected wild pigs from entering into Germany.
