Gangwon Province to conduct mass screening for ASF, PRRS at pig farms in October

Gangwon Province will conduct a mass inspection for African swine fever (ASF) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) at pig farms from Thursday through Oct. 23 as part of preemptive disease control measures.

The screening aims to identify infected farms early and prevent the spread of disease between operations.

Farm owners will collect samples themselves and submit them to their respective city or county offices, which will then forward the samples to animal health laboratories — including branch facilities — for detailed testing.

Samples will be taken from carcasses and compost at each farm. If no carcasses are available, blood will be drawn from pigs showing clinical symptoms or signs of stunted growth.

If a farm tests positive for ASF, emergency biosecurity measures will be carried out in accordance with standard operating procedures, including expanded testing of all pigs on the affected premises.

For PRRS-positive farms deemed at high risk of spreading the disease to neighboring operations, authorities plan to commission genotype analysis from private specialized testing agencies to determine infection characteristics and strengthen farm-level biosecurity management.

Park Yu-jin, head of the animal disease control division at Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, urged pig farmers to cooperate fully with the inspection. "Early detection and swift response are critical, as ASF and PRRS cause direct harm to farms — including pig deaths and reduced production," Park said. "Farms should also maintain strict on-site biosecurity and conduct thorough clinical monitoring at all times."