Hong Kong authorities to slaughter 32 pigs after African swine fever hits farm in Yuen Long
- Samples reveal 16 pigs at the farm are carrying virus, which is not harmful to people
- Spokesman for Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department will arrange the culling ‘for the sake of prudence’
Hong Kong authorities will cull 32 pigs after detecting an outbreak of African swine fever at a farm in Yuen Long.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said on Tuesday that samples taken from 32 pigs at the Lau Fau Shan site revealed that half of the animals were carrying the virus.
“The AFCD has immediately suspended transport of any pigs from the farm concerned until further notice, according to the contingency plan on ASF [African swine fever],” a department spokesman said.
“The AFCD will arrange culling pigs on the farm concerned for the sake of prudence.”
The spokesman added the public should not be concerned as the virus would not infect humans and, therefore, did not pose any food safety risks.
The outbreak did not affect the operation of local slaughterhouses nor the overall supply of live pigs, according to the spokesman.
