Abattoirs still open despite pig virus find

Some pig slaughterhouses in Nakhon Pathom remain operational despite the Department of Livestock Development (DLD) confirming that African swine fever (ASF) was found at one facility in the province.

ASF was detected in a surface swab sample collected at a slaughterhouse in Muang Nakhon Pathom district on Tuesday, marking the first time the country has officially confirmed the disease.

Despite the confirmation, some slaughterhouses remain open as no order to halt operations has been issued by the provincial livestock office.

Moreover, a slaughterhouse owner in the Puang Samlee Road area told reporters that owners were not at fault despite the discovery of the disease at a slaughterhouse, as the inspection process was supposed to be conducted by the pig farms and livestock office before animals were transferred to any slaughterhouses.

In previous cases, pigs were found to have been exposed to external infections that could not be identified by farms. Nonetheless, the owner said this led to suspensions of operations of one to two weeks at farms.

Given current economic conditions, the majority of small-scale slaughterhouses would face serious impacts from such a suspension, the owner said.

Meanwhile, the ASF outbreak has wreaked havoc on small-scale hog farmers in Muang district, resulting in the slaughter of many hogs. Many farmers are hoping for a vaccine to be developed against the disease amid mounting fears.

Ms Jintana (surname withheld), a 75-year-old pig farm owner, said so many of her pigs have died from ASF she doesn’t have enough space to bury them.

The stress has been so severe she has even contemplated suicide. She blamed the government for not being truthful about the outbreak. For now, all that can be done is to wait for a vaccine, she said.

Pattanapong Karoonyasiri, owner of Karoon Farm in Phrom Buri district of Sing Buri, lost 200 million baht when all his pigs had to be slaughtered because of ASF. His farm also was suspended from operations for four months, leading him to make 150 of his workers redundant, he said.

ASF is fatal to pigs although harmless to humans. Currently, there is no vaccine available to protect swine against the disease.