Pig fever poses threat
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Hog cholera and bird flu are spreading very fast and could enter PNG if security is not improved, the National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority warned yesterday.NAQIA issued a Disease Alert this week warning that hog cholera (or swine fever) has spread to Jayapura following an outbreak reported in Timika in Papua province of Indonesia in 2004, and this could spread to PNG soon.
It said bird flu, which has killed birds and humans, was reported in Indonesia, and could spread to Papua province and into PNG.
NAQIA said all pigs and poultry and their products which were not cooked and brought into PNG from across the border must be detained and destroyed without exception.
It also warned the public to report mass deaths of pigs, chickens and wild birds quickly.
The managing director of NAQIA, Andrew Yamanea, said in a statement yesterday that although hog cholera does not affect humans, NAQIA will do everything they can to prevent the disease from entering the country, especially from the PNG-Indonesian border at Vanimo.
Mr Yamanea urged all commercial pig producers to improve their bio-security by restricting access to outsiders to pigs, restricting access of livestock transport to pig production areas and ensuring farm outer perimeters are secure against entry of unauthorised people and wild or wandering pigs.
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Source: The National
27 February 2006
2 minute read
