New swine fever case confirmed in Gifu Pref.

March 7, 2019

Gifu--The Gifu prefectural government said Thursday that a new case of swine fever infection has been confirmed in the central Japan prefecture at a pig farm in the city of Yamagata.

Several pigs at the farm tested positive for the disease, also known as hog cholera, in an examination conducted by the prefectural government.

The Gifu government has started the culling process at the farm, which raises some 1,300 pigs.

On Wednesday, the prefectural government received a report that some pigs were not eating properly and launched an on-the-spot inspection.

It will send a sample to the central government to find out the type of the virus in a detailed examination.

Believing that the spread of swine fever infection in Gifu Prefecture is partly due to the prefectural government's inadequate surveillance, Japan's agriculture ministry started on Feb. 6 to provide pig farms in the prefecture with direct guidance.

The ministry had already inspected the pig farm in question and concluded that the farm did not violate any hygiene management standards.

Speaking at a meeting on Thursday to discuss ways to handle the outbreak, Gifu Governor Hajime Furuta said that the latest infection was "regrettable" as it occurred when the prefectural government was following up on the central government's on-site coaching at the farm.

Both the central and prefectural governments need to boost measures against the swine fever outbreak, which does not seem to stop spreading, mainly in Gifu, observers said. Jiji Press