Kampung Selamat ASF outbreak: 120 pig deaths reported to date
Penang Veterinary Services Department (DVS) director Dr Saira Banu Mohamed Rejab said of the total, 120 deaths had been reported, an increase from 50 reported yesterday.
"Fifty deaths were reported at Farm 1 and 70 at Farm 2. We have yet to enter Farm 3. There are many more pigs reported to be sick.
"Despite that, we want to assure the public that the situation is under control and we are doing everything we can to contain the outbreak.
"At present, only these three farms are affected," she told the New Straits Times.
Kampung Selamat is home to 63 pig farms with an estimated population of 120,000 pigs.
Yesterday, it was reported that an outbreak of ASF had been detected at three pig farms in Kampung Selamat.
Laboratory tests conducted by the northern zone veterinary laboratory confirmed the presence of the disease at the affected farms.
Two of the three farms recorded high mortality rates, raising concerns about the potential spread of the virus to nearby farms.
Authorities have since stepped up containment and monitoring efforts to curb further transmission.
Dr Saira Banu said everything would remain under control as long as pig farmers complied with the DVS' instructions.
"We have imposed strict movement controls in the area.
"We have also designated dedicated slaughterhouses for farmers in the Seberang Prai Utara district," she added, stressing that they were monitoring the situation very closely.
Dr Saira Banu again reminded all pig farmers to report any unusual livestock deaths immediately and to improve on-farm biosecurity measures.
She said that while ASF does not infect humans, it poses a serious threat to the swine industry, particularly through livestock movement restrictions and financial losses.
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