More than 300 pigs have so far been killed by ASF in Mendi in the country’s Southern Highlands province.
PNG Agriculture Minister John Simon said it was unclear how the outbreak had occurred, but it is suspected the pigs may have eaten contaminated meat at a village dump.
He said PNG has been on high alert for ASF for several months.
“While we were keeping an eye on the trade routes, all of a sudden it happened up at Mendi,” he said.
“It’s shocking to us, how did it end up in Mendi?”
The outbreak was discovered while PNG is in a 14-day state of emergency due to COVID-19, restricting domestic travel.
The Minister said his officers had received permission to travel to the area to try to contain the outbreak, but he raised concerns it may be difficult to secure Government funding during the coronavirus crisis.
Three provinces in the country’s highlands region — Enga, Hela, and Southern Highlands — have been declared diseased areas, and the movement of pig and pig products out of those areas have been banned.
“We are encouraging those in those three provinces to start slaughtering their pigs,” Mr Simon said.
Pigs are a central part of PNG’s culture and are regularly traded to seal marriages or end disputes.
There are serious concerns that mass pig deaths could cause social and economic upheaval in the country.
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