Thailand denies swine flu cover-up as pig supplies fall, prices soar

BANGKOK, Jan 9 (The Nation Thailand/ANN): The Thailand government on Sunday denied covering up an outbreak of African swine fever (AFS) in Thailand amid growing suspicion that AFS is to blame for falling local pork supplies and surging prices.

AFS is already decimating pig herds in neighbouring Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam as well as dozens of other countries.

Thai pork supplies have dropped 30 per cent this year, and PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha has ordered livestock officials to speed up inspections of pig farms.

The government insists livestock inspectors are following international standards and would report any Thai AFS cases to the International Animal Health Organisation, with no cover-up.

AFS, for which there is no vaccine, is fatal to pigs but harmless to humans.

Outbreaks in recent years…