IPOH, Dec 1 — Perak recorded two cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) involving 25,143 kilogrammes of meat carcasses at two cold storage premises in Menglembu here.

State Human Resources, Health, Indian Community Affairs and National Integration committee chairman A. Sivanesan said that the enforcement unit from the state Veterinary Department raided the premises on November 22 after receiving complaints that the meat carcasses were smuggled from a country that was not approved for importing pork meat.

“The authorities found that the pork carcasses were not slaughtered at a licensed or approved slaughterhouse.

“The carcasses also showed clinical signs of ASF disease and the sample taken by the Ipoh Veterinary Research Institute (VRI) confirmed that it was positive for ASF on November 23.

“All pork carcasses amounting to 25,142 kilogrammes were seized for further investigation,” he told a press conference at the sideline of Perak State Legislative Assembly at the Perak Darul Ridzuan Building here.

Sivanesan said that the operator of the premises was found to have committed an offence under the Animal Act 1953 [Act 647], Rule 5(3) of the Animal (Slaughter Control) Rules 2009, for possessing pig carcasses that were not slaughtered at an approved or licensed slaughterhouse.

“If convicted, the offenders can be fined not more than RM10,000.00 under rule 17 of the same Act,” he said.

He also added that all the pork carcasses worth RM502,840 were disposed of on November 28 and 29 after receiving an order from the Magistrates' Court here.

“The authorities have also carried out disinfection work at both the premises

“The actions of premise owners to store and sell pork carcasses infected with ASF will cause the disease to spread further and threaten the pig industry in the state and country,” he added.

Sivanesan also said that ASF was first detected in Perak in wild boars in December 2021.

“As of October 2023, a total of nine positive cases of ASF detected in wild boars in Perak.

“While a total of 18 positive cases of ASF have been reported in commercial pig farms, involving several phases of the disease.

“The latest positive case of ASF was on October 27 in Tronoh, Perak. To date, the number of ASF-infected pigs that have been destroyed and disposed of is at 19,285,” he said.

Sivanesan explained that ASF is an acute hemorrhagic fever disease caused by a virus from the Asfarviridae family that attacks domestic and wild pigs.

He also said that the disease spread rapidly and would cause 100 per cent death in the infected pigs within two to 10 days and no vaccines were found to cure the infected pigs until today.

Sivanesan also said that the control and eradication of ASF disease was gazetted in Perak on April 5 last year under Section 36 (1) of the Animal Act 1953 [Act 647].

“It is the responsibility of the pig farm owners to report to the authorities if their livestock were infected with ASF.

“Failure to do so is an offence under the Animals Act 1953 (2006 revision) [Act 647], which carries a fine not exceeding RM25,000,” he said.