Japan starts work to get wild boars vaccinated

March 25, 2019

Komaki, Aichi Pref.--Japan on Sunday started work to get wild boars vaccinated against swine fever, the first vaccination attempt targeting wild animals in the country.

The Aichi prefectural government planted vaccine-containing feed into the ground at some locations in Aichi Prefecture, including a forest in Komaki.

This time, the central Japan prefecture will conduct the work at a total of 60 locations in the cities of Komaki, Kasugai and Inuyama.

Five more rounds of vaccination work will be conducted by February 2020, prefectural officials said.

Swine fever outbreaks have occurred at pig farms mainly in central Japan since last year. Wild boars are believed to have spread the disease.

Last month, the agriculture ministry decided to provide vaccinations to wild boars in Aichi and the neighboring prefecture of Gifu. Vaccination work in Gifu is set to start on Monday. Jiji Press