Myanmar is now the seventh Asian nation to report an African swine fever outbreak. On Wednesday, Ye Tun Win, chief veterinary officer and director general for the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department with the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries in Nay Pyi Taw confirmed the cases to the World Organization of Animal Health. 

Fifteen cases of ASF were reported in Wan Nwet Village, Mongla, Keng Tung, Shan State on the Myanmar/China border where 12 pigs died and another 53 were culled. Test results at the Mandalay Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed tissue samples were positive for the virus.

In addition to Myanmar, ASF is now present in China, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cambodia, North Korea and Laos. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is urging Asian countries to maintain strict control measures as almost 5 million pigs in Asia have now died or been culled due to ASF. First detected in Asia one year ago this month, the contagious viral disease is not dangerous to humans, but causes up to 100% fatality in pigs, leading to severe economic losses to the pig sector. 

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