Extraordinary gazette issued for prevention of African Swine Fever spread

A gazette extraordinary has been issued declaring every Divisional Secretariat Division of Sri Lanka to be an infected area or suspected area for African Swine Fever (AFS) and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS).

Issuing the gazette extraordinary, Director General of Animal Production and Health Chandrika Hemali Abeyrathna Kothalawala stated that this declaration was made by virtue and in the exercise of powers vested in her as African Swine Fever (AFS) and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) are Specified Diseases within the meaning of the Animal Diseases Act, No. 59 of 1992 and the Order made thereunder and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 1867/8 dated 17.06.2014 has been reported to have occurred and suspected to be occurred in every Divisional Secretariat Division of the Island.

Further, the gazette notification states that the orders mentioned in it shall come into force on the date on which it is published in the Gazette and shall unless earlier revoked or further extended in accordance with the Section 5(3) of that Act, cease to have effect at the expiration of a period of three months from the date on which it is published in the Gazette.

Through the published gazette extraordinary, the following activities have been prohibited within or in relation to the infected and suspected area for the purpose of preventing the spread from and controlling and containing within, the infected area, of the said African Swine Fever (AFS) and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS).

I. Under Section 5(4) of the Animal Diseases Act removal, taking or driving or transport within, to or from the infected or suspected area, pigs, pork, pork products or the risk material.

II. The slaughter of susceptible species of Animal.

III. The performance of artificial breeding procedures in the susceptible species of animals.

IV. Holding or conducting Live Animal Markets, shows and competitions involving the susceptible species of Animal.

V. Sale, exposure for sale, offering for sale, store, supply or distribution of pigs, pork, pork products and infected materials and processing and further processing of pork.

VI. Throwing or otherwise placing in any body of water, any carcass or any part thereof of an animal that at the time of its death was suspected of being, affected or contaminated with the African Swine Fever (AFS) and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) or any other risk material that is suspected of or contaminated with the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), African Swine Fever (AFS); or 

VII. Placing any carcass or any part thereof, of an animal that at the time of its death was suspected of being, affected or contaminated with the African Swine Fever (AFS), Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), in such manner as to facilitate other animal to consume or taking away of those carcasses or any part thereof to other places.