PORK PRODUCERS say they are calm yet vigilant as human cases of Japanese encephalitis (JE) continue to rise.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
NSW Health has confirmed that four NSW residents have contracted the mosquito-borne virus, several residents have undergone testing, and case numbers are expected the increase across the state over the coming days.
Vaccination programs against the deadly virus are set to prioritise affected workers and families on pig farms after samples from properties across several states returned positive results for JE.
In other news
Director at Blantyre Farms in Young Edwina Beveridge said her drove of pigs are yet to be affected, but precautions have been implemented to protect her staff.
"We have made sure we've got short grass around our pig farms so that there are no mosquito breeding grounds, and we've checked that we don't have any puddles of water lying around," she said.
"We're also making sure our staff wear long-sleeved shirts and mosquito repellent."
While Ms Beveridge is aware of fellow producers combatting outbreaks on their farms, she herself is "not stressing" about the unfolding situation as of yet.
"The biggest drama with the virus is actually the people side of things," she said.
"Of course, no one wants to have a disease in their pig herd, but it's not the be-all and end-all in respect to pigs, it's much more about the people."
Industry association Australian Pork has been supplying updated information to producers in regards to the outbreak, and say they are working with the government to secure ample supply of vaccines for on-farm staff.
Australian Pork CEO Margo Andrae said while the association is monitoring the situation closely, she is confident that the impact on pork production and supply will be minimal.
"Because of the ongoing threat of African Swine Fever in the Australian pork industry, our producers are already incredibly vigilant around biosecurity on-farm," she said.
"We aren't anticipating huge impacts to the supply chain with this virus, while [Japanese encephalitis] runs its course during mosquito season."
Both Ms Beveridge and Ms Andrae emphasised that the JE virus can not be contracted from consuming the meat of an affected animal.
NSW Health has also stated that JE can not be caught by eating pork or other pig products and that only mosquitoes can infect animals and humans.
"We really want to make it clear to Australians that pork is safe to eat," Ms Andrae said.
"We imagine Australians will continue to support the industry by continuing to choose quality Australian pork."
Australian Pork encourages any producer concerned that their animals have contracted JE to contact their vet or the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline.
Symptoms among people are similar to flu and include a high fever, headaches, stiff neck, vomiting.
NSW Health says there is no specific treatment for JE, which can cause severe neurological illness with headache, convulsions and reduced consciousness in some cases.
The health authority encourages the public to take extra precautions when venturing outside especially at dawn and dusk, and close to wetland and bushland areas.
Simple actions include reducing skin exposure with longer clothing and applying mosquito repellent.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Download our app from the Apple Store or Google Play
- Bookmark dailyadvertiser.com.au
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters