62% of swine fever cases are related to feeding pigs with swill; the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs recommends prevention and control in six areas
Since African swine fever outbreaks occurred in some provinces of China in August, all outbreaks that have occurred so far have been effectively handled, 12 epidemic areas have had their lockdowns lifted, and China's African swine fever situation is generally controllable.
However, due to the complex transmission routes of the African swine fever virus and the complexity of pathogen contamination, the possibility of continued new outbreaks cannot be ruled out. Judging from the development and changes of outbreaks in provinces where cases have occurred, especially in Liaoning and other provinces recently, China's current African swine fever prevention and control situation is very severe, and with the slightest relaxation there is a possibility of spread and localized epidemics. In addition, as African swine fever has long been prevalent in neighboring countries and continues to spread, the risk of introduction remains high.
In addition, the Information Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced at 11:00 on October 25 that an African swine fever outbreak in live pigs occurred in Bijie City, Guizhou Province. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs immediately dispatched a supervision team to the local area. At present, the outbreak has been effectively handled.
1. In terms of strictly implementing prevention and control responsibilities
Local people's governments at all levels bear overall responsibility for animal epidemic prevention work within their jurisdictions, and the principal responsible person is the first responsible person. At the same time, it is emphasized that the main responsibility for epidemic prevention of producers and operators in all links, including breeding, trafficking, trading, and slaughtering, must be effectively implemented.
2. In terms of carrying out outbreak investigation and handling
On the basis of continuing to do comprehensive monitoring and investigation, all localities should focus on monitoring and investigation in key areas and key links. All localities must strictly implement full-chain supervision responsibilities for kitchen waste and leftovers, and stipulate that feeding pigs with kitchen waste and leftovers is completely prohibited nationwide.
3. In terms of strengthening supervision of livestock and poultry transportation
Vehicles transporting live pigs and other live livestock and poultry no longer enjoy the “green channel” policy for transporting fresh agricultural products, and filing management is implemented for live livestock and poultry transport vehicles.
4. In terms of strictly preventing the introduction of external epidemics
All localities and relevant departments must adhere to internal prevention and external blocking, cooperate closely, and strengthen prevention and control in key areas such as borders and ports to effectively prevent the introduction of external epidemics.
5. In terms of ensuring live pig production and meat supply
All localities must conscientiously implement the “vegetable basket” mayor responsibility system, take effective measures, protect the basic production capacity of live pigs, stabilize live pig production, and promote the healthy development of the live pig industry.
6. In terms of improving animal epidemic prevention capacity and level
Local people's governments at all levels must take effective measures to stabilize grassroots veterinary institutions and teams; ensure that culling subsidies are promptly paid, and that prevention and control funds and animal quarantine work funds are fully allocated; and strengthen the construction of grassroots veterinary infrastructure and equipment and improve the animal epidemic prevention system.
In addition, it is also emphasized that local people's governments at all levels must carry out supervision and inspection of African swine fever prevention and control work within their jurisdictions level by level, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, together with the Ministry of Emergency Management and other relevant departments, must further increase efforts to supervise the implementation of prevention and control work in all localities, and conduct unannounced inspections of relevant areas depending on the progress of prevention and control work.
62% of outbreaks are related to feeding kitchen waste and leftovers
At the same time, stabilize grassroots veterinary institutions and teams
Many years of international practice in African swine fever prevention and control show that feeding pigs with kitchen waste and leftovers is an important route of transmission for African swine fever. Research shows that among the first 21 African swine fever outbreaks that occurred in China, 62% were related to feeding kitchen waste and leftovers. These outbreaks were mostly distributed in urban-rural fringe areas and often occurred in concentrated multi-point clusters. After China required a complete ban on feeding pigs with kitchen waste and leftovers in provinces where outbreaks occurred and provinces adjacent to outbreaks, the number of outbreaks caused by this has been greatly reduced, which fully demonstrates the importance of completely banning the feeding of pigs with kitchen waste and leftovers.
At present, China's animal epidemic prevention system still has some problems that seriously constrain animal epidemic prevention work. In particular, in the work of preventing and controlling the sudden African swine fever outbreaks, problems in some local grassroots animal epidemic prevention systems have been exposed, including weak staffing, insufficient local funding guarantees, and infrastructure construction that needs to be strengthened, which have become key factors restricting early detection, early reporting, and early handling of outbreaks. In a sense, the overall veterinary level of a country is determined by the level of grassroots veterinarians in that country. Only when relevant policies can truly be implemented at the grassroots level and a large number of highly qualified personnel work at the grassroots level can animal epidemic prevention work be effectively guaranteed.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will also strengthen 4 areas
To solve difficult problems in animal disease prevention and control
1. Strengthen the implementation of key measures
Guide and urge local authorities to resolutely and decisively handle outbreaks and effectively prevent the spread of epidemics. Continue to organize joint expert groups and epidemiological investigation teams from ministries and provinces to strengthen traceability tracking and prevention and control guidance. Strictly supervise pig origin quarantine, slaughter quarantine, and transport vehicle supervision to prevent cross-regional spread of outbreaks. Continue to implement nationwide monitoring and investigation to ensure timely discovery and elimination of hidden dangers.
2. Strengthen joint prevention and control
In light of the problems found in earlier supervision, carry out comprehensive supervision of the implementation of prevention and control responsibilities and measures in all localities. Coordinate relevant departments and localities to implement supervision responsibilities in key links such as imports, transportation, combating smuggling, market circulation, and field inspections, and focus on key areas such as border areas, entry ports, and surrounding transportation hubs to guard strictly and block introduction routes. Guide relevant provinces to strengthen regional joint prevention and control and improve regional prevention and control and emergency response capabilities.
3. Strengthen supply guarantees
Guide all localities to adopt effective measures, strengthen epidemic prevention management, and effectively protect basic production capacity and stabilize live pig production. Promptly refine and improve supervision measures for live pig transportation, and work with relevant departments to guide all localities in strengthening production-sales coordination to ensure pork market supply.
4. Strengthen scientific research breakthroughs
Focus on key technologies such as African swine fever vaccine research and development and comprehensive prevention and control, coordinate relevant departments to establish special scientific research projects, and increase scientific research investment and breakthrough efforts.