'Follow basic biosecurity rules,' province urges
Gyeonggi Province is tightening its disease prevention posture ahead of the Chuseok holiday, when large-scale population movement raises the risk of introducing livestock diseases including foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever and highly pathogenic avian influenza.
According to the province, it will maintain an emergency operations system at its livestock disease control headquarters throughout the Chuseok holiday period from Sept. 24 to Sept. 27, and will conduct advance checks on personnel and equipment mobilization plans. Before and after the holiday, municipal disinfection vehicles and joint pest-control teams will carry out intensive disinfection of high-risk areas — including roads near wild boar virus detection sites and migratory bird habitats — in coordination with livestock facilities and farms.
The province plans to urge Chuseok travelers and grave visitors to refrain from visiting livestock farms in their hometowns. Farmers will be instructed to follow biosecurity protocols: restricting outside visitors and vehicles from entering their farms, disinfecting inside and outside the farm daily, wearing dedicated boots and sanitizing hands when entering livestock sheds, and inspecting wildlife barriers and perimeter fencing.
The province and individual cities and counties will use banners and electronic displays at terminals, train stations and other public facilities, as well as village broadcasts and text messages, to continuously remind the public to avoid farm visits and observe biosecurity rules.
Gyeonggi Province began its second-half foot-and-mouth disease vaccination campaign on Sept. 1, targeting all cattle and goat farms, and is strengthening individual animal vaccination management to prevent any animals from being missed. The province is also conducting preemptive inspections of biosecurity facilities at poultry farms in preparation for the winter season to guard against highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Lee Eun-kyung, head of the province's Animal Disease Control and Hygiene Division, said highly pathogenic avian influenza had broken out last September and that the risk of further outbreaks of African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease remained ongoing. "During the Chuseok holiday, we urge livestock farmers to strictly follow basic biosecurity rules, including restricting access by outsiders and vehicles and disinfecting inside and outside their farms," she said.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
