THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
February 11, 2024 at 17:57 JST
An animal quarantine officer uses a sniffer dog to heighten awareness of African swine fever on Feb. 9 at Hakata Port International Terminal. (Ryutaro Ito)
Quarantine officials were using sniffer dogs to stop travelers bringing in meat products to Japan as part of stepped up measures to prevent an outbreak of African swine fever that is sweeping Asia.
The disease, which is fatal to pigs and wild boars, has been confirmed in most parts of Asia. A recent case was confirmed late last year in Busan, South Korea, which is close to Kyushu, the main southern island.
Although the disease has not yet been found in Japan, the farm ministry is stepping up measures in line with the Feb. 10 start of the Lunar New Year, heralding a long holiday period for Asian travelers.
African swine fever does not infect humans, but its fatality rate is close to total for pigs and wild boars. No effective vaccine exists.
Farm ministry officials said the disease was found in China in 2018. Pork prices there doubled after the pig population dropped by 40 percent due to the disease and the culling of other swine.
African swine fever was confirmed in northern South Korea in 2019 and then spread to Busan which lies on the Pacific coast to the south.
Infection of wild boars was confirmed near the ferry terminal in Busan where ships depart for Kyushu.
The virus can be spread by people.
On Feb. 9, animal quarantine officials at the Hakata Port International Terminal in Fukuoka city were checking on arriving passengers who boarded the ferry at Busan.
Passengers were asked not to bring in meat products and to cooperate to prevent African swine fever reaching Japan’s borders by, for example, removing soil from the soles of their shoes.
Sniffer dogs were also in place to detect meat products.
At a news conference the same day, farm minister Tetsushi Sakamoto said: “Our livestock industry will be severely damaged if the disease spreads here. We will make every effort to prevent that by thoroughly strengthening quarantine measures at entry points.”
About 30 percent of Japan’s pig farms are located in Kyushu. Steps have been in place since last year to prevent the virus from entering the borders.
(This article was written by Eiji Zakoda and Ryutaro Ito.)
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