KUALA LUMPUR: Penampang has been declared an African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak district in Sabah following the detection of the virus on Dec 14.
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said until now, the virus has spread to five villages in Inobong, Sugud and Koidupan.
"The cases involved a total of 229 backyard pigs owned by six different owners. The losses are estimated to be as high as RM115,000," he said in a statement today.
Kitingan, who is also the state Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, said Penampang, which is the 20th district where ASF was detected, has two commercial pig farms with an estimated 2,900 pigs.
To prevent the virus from spreading to nearby districts, the ministry through the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) will conduct awareness campaigns in the Penampang district to ensure that the people are well-informed about ASF.
The department will also monitor and control the movement of pigs and pork products to ensure that none leave Penampang for the time being.
Since the ASF outbreak was first declared last year, 10 districts have been declared ASF-free.
These districts are Kota Marudu, Pitas, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Beluran, Telupid, Tongod, Tawau, Lahad Datu, and Semporna.
"The government is aware of the people's anxiety particularly as Chinese New Year is just around the corner. However, we remain optimistic that pork supply in Sabah will be sufficient to meet demand," he said.