Hong Kong abattoir to reopen after pig cull and cleaning operation following second case of African swine fever

Cleansing and disinfection completed at Sheung Shui slaughterhouse so services will resume, government spokesman says

All pigs on site will now be slaughtered by the end of the day in a bid to guard against disease

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Sheung Shui slaughterhouse has been closed twice because of African swine fever cases. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 6:30am, 6 Jun 2019Updated: 3:18pm, 23 Oct 2019

A government-owned slaughterhouse which has been closed since last week following Hong Kong’s second case of African swine fever will resume operations on Thursday, with the added measure of having all pigs on site slaughtered by the end of the day to guard against the disease.

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department on Wednesday completed cleansing and disinfection work at Sheung Shui slaughterhouse and its services would resume, a government spokesman said. It was shut for five days.

Under the new arrangement to be enforced, all live pigs will be slaughtered within 24 hours of arrival, so the facility can be cleansed and disinfected thoroughly to minimise the risk of infections. The disease is not harmful to humans, but deadly to pigs.

The dead pig in the most recent case, which was discovered on May 31, was later found to have been kept at the abattoir for six days, in an apparent breach of rules which required animals to be slaughtered within three days of arrival.

Hong Kong imports about 4,000 pigs per day from the mainland. Photo: Winson Wong

Previously, live pigs would be kept on the premises for several days before they were killed so pork buyers could enjoy greater flexibility. But the two cases of swine fever at the abattoir last month sparked a discussion within the trade and the government on a daily clearance of livestock.

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