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Pork processor shut down over outbreak

By Yang Wanli | China Daily | Updated: 2018-08-18 08:18
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Workers examine pork at a meat processing plant of Shuanghui Group in Luohe, Henan province, June 17, 2013. [Photo/IC]

A slaughterhouse that belongs to the country's largest pork processor was ordered to shut down following an outbreak of deadly African swine fever-the second outbreak in the country within two weeks.

The slaughterhouse, owned by Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development in Zhengzhou, Henan province, bought 260 pigs from a market in Tangyuan county of Jiamusi, Heilongjiang province.

On Aug 14, around 30 of the pigs had died of African swine fever, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Thursday. The ministry has sent experts to both Henan and Heilongjiang.

It announced on Thursday that the situation is currently under control.

According to a statement released by the Zhengzhou government, an emergency response has been initiated to quarantine, cull and disinfect the affected pigs.

All movement of pigs and pork products in and out of the affected area was banned on Thursday for six weeks. The ban will also be enforced in areas within 3 kilometers of the slaughterhouse.

Disposal of the dead pigs was completed safely, and the other 230 pigs brought from Heilongjiang are now in isolation, China National Radio reported on Friday.

None of the pigs in the slaughterhouse will be killed or processed until the experts complete their investigation.

The company said in a statement on Friday that it culled 1,362 pigs in the slaughterhouse after the infection was discovered. It said strict sterilization has been conducted to prevent the spread of the disease.

"Other slaughterhouses were not infected, and the outbreak will not influence our ability to provide pork products to the market," the statement said.

Earlier this month, African swine fever was discovered at a farm in Shenyang, Liaoning province. It was China's first outbreak of the disease.

The outbreaks have stirred animal health experts' concerns that more pigs could become infected. Food safety concerns have also risen among the public.

On social media, topics related to African swine fever received thousands of comments over the past few days.

"Pork is the most common food on the dining table of most Chinese families. Before the authorities confirm the clearance of the infection, we dare not eat pork anymore," said a netizen named Little Monica on Sina Weibo.

Though fatal to pigs and not preventable by vaccination, swine fever does not affect humans or other animal species, according to Feng Shuzhang, an animal disease expert from the Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine.

"The disease has been found in other countries, such as Russia. But as it has been reported in China for the first time, it will take time for further investigation about its origin. Also, the control work is very challenging," he said.

Since African swine fever is highly contagious, Feng warned that pig farms should be on the alert for symptoms and report any suspected case quickly to the local authorities.

Qi Xin contributed to this story.

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