BANGKOK, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives on Wednesday warned against the African Swine Fever (ASF) epidemic that is emerging from Thailand's neighboring countries.
Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Prapat Pothasuthon told the media that he has assigned the national livestock division to take maximum precautionary measures in screening out suspicions of ASF at the Thai border.
The African Swine Fever is emerging in Myanmar and it is necessary to take precaution and vigilance in quarantine checks along the Thai-Myanmar border in Chiang Rai province, said Prapat.
"Customs officials at the border check point will seize animal products that tourists bring across the border without permission and farmers would be briefed on standard swine farming to protect their animals."
"Since there is no vaccine to rid ASF, transporting pigs across borders without permit is banned," said Prapat. "Chiang Rai Province has already established 100 checkpoints to screen through tourists' belongings."
Prapat also said that the Swine Raisers Association of Thailand has been instructed to inform traders not to move pigs around and to quickly buy slaughtered pigs to reduce the exposure to epidemic risks.
Sorawit Thaneto, director-general of the Livestock Development Department, said ASF was spreading in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
Sorawit also said that Thai traders were buying pigs bred domestically, instead of buying from neighboring countries.
However, Sorawit said it is safe to eat pork because ASF could not be transmitted to humans.
