SARAWAK has shut down the only pig slaughterhouse in the city of Miri, in the northern end of the state, and declared two more of its 12 administrative divisions, Sri Aman and Serian, at the opposite end of the state, as African swine fever disease control areas.

The state’s Modernisation of Agriculture Minister Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said the slaughterhouse in Krokop was ordered shut after the disease was detected there on Wednesday.

He said the order, made under section 25 of the Veterinary Public Health Ordinance 1999, was to enable cleanup and sanitising work.

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease with a 100% mortality rate for pigs. It is, however, not a threat to human health.

To meet the demand for pork in Miri, Dr Rundi said the state’s Department of Veterinary Services would permit the entry of pork from Sibu, Samarahan, and Kuching.

Any movement of live pigs, pork and pork products from other areas into ASF control areas requires a permit from the authoritities.

Miri, Limbang and Kapit divisions were declared ASF disease control areas mid last year.

Rundi said Serian was declared an ASF disease control area after farm-reared pigs tested positive for the virus in two villages in Kampung Mapu Kijabu and Kampung Daha Kisau.

Sri Aman and Serians are near Indonesia’s Kalimantan province where the ASF is thought to have originated 

The outbreak in Sarawak started in Limbang, which shares a common border with Kalimantan.

Infected feral pigs from Nunukan and Krayan provinces of Kalimantan Utara are believed to have spread the disease. – April 8, 2022.