The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Behavioral change key to controlling future outbreaks
Poor biosecurity and unsafe feeding practices has triggered another outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Bhutan, with two households in Zangkhaphu village, Tsento Gewog, Paro, reporting infected pigs. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MoAL) confirmed 11 cases through RT-PCR testing on 8th February 2025, raising concerns over continued outbreaks linked to unhygienic farming practices.
ASF is a highly contagious and lethal disease that severely impacts pig populations and disrupts farmers’ livelihoods.
An official from the Department of Livestock stated, “There is no vaccine to prevent ASF, nor is there any treatment for infected pigs. We implement the Three D’s strategy: Depopulate, Dispose, and Decontaminate. Infected animals are culled, their meat is safely disposed of to prevent further spread, and decontamination measures are carried out to contain the disease.”
Bhutan recorded its first ASF outbreak in May 2020, and this marks the country’s 23rd confirmed case.
Failure to follow biosecurity measures
Despite repeated advisories on biosecurity, MoAL has observed that many farms experiencing outbreaks exhibit poor hygiene standards, inadequate farming practices, and the unsafe feeding of uncooked kitchen waste and food leftovers from hotels and restaurants to pigs.
When asked why people are not adhering to biosecurity advisories despite repeated warnings, the official said, “Behavioral change is very difficult for our farmers. Many are reluctant to invest in biosecurity measures, as most practice subsistence farming. They continue to follow traditional methods, typically raising three to four pigs. Only semi-commercial and commercial farms implement concrete biosecurity measures. In many cases, farming remains communal, with visitors frequently entering farms. Only a few commercial farms strictly enforce biosecurity restrictions despite advisories. It is challenging to reach everyone, but we are making gradual progress.”
ASF outbreaks have a devastating socio-economic impact, as many farmers depend on pig farming for their livelihood. “Once one pig gets infected, the disease spreads rapidly, leading to the loss of all their pigs. Since pigs are primarily raised for meat, outbreaks can be catastrophic. Most farmers are smallholders, typically raising five to ten pigs. Losing their entire stock severely affects their income and their ability to support essential needs, such as sending their children to school,” said the official.
Illegal pork imports pose a major risk
MoAL has urged the public and hoteliers to refrain from purchasing illegally imported pork and to report suspected cases via the toll-free number 1244. Authorities remain concerned about illegal pork imports from across the border, which they consider a significant threat.
According to officials, the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA) has collected Nu 10.6 million in fines related to illegal pork imports. Despite a ban imposed in 2022, smugglers continue to find ways to bring in pork.
“Many Bhutanese hide meat under car seats, inside handbags, under car bonnets, or even above the engine. In some cases, large quantities 600 to 700 kg have been transported inside empty oil tankers,” an official said.
Authorities also suspect hotels of involvement. “Some hotels may be engaged in illegal imports, but due to the use of illicit routes, it is difficult to catch all offenders,” the official added.
When asked if penalties are imposed on farmers in areas where outbreaks have occurred, the official from Department of Livestock (DoL) said, “We do not provide compensation. If out of 10 pigs, 5 die due to an outbreak, we implement our three Ds—Depopulate, Dispose and Decontaminate. Farmers must adhere to all biosecurity measures before restarting their farms, which serves as an indirect penalty. At a minimum, they are required to have footbaths for disinfection, perimeter fencing, and restricted entry signs, with approval from the BFDA.”
The primary concern, however, remains swill feeding, which is the practice of feeding pigs with kitchen waste from hotels and restaurants. The official noted that in the 23 cases recorded, so far, the main cause of the outbreaks was feeding uncooked kitchen waste, including leftover pork contaminated with African Swine Fever residues.
“There is a clear association between such cases. For instance, a person from Trashigang once brought in 70–80 kg of pork from India, which was purchased by a pig farmer. Later, all her pigs fell sick and died due to ASF,” said the official.
Swill feeding: The primary cause of ASF
“We suspect this is happening in Paro as well. Many farmers feed kitchen waste directly to pigs to cut costs, without cooking it. Despite this, we are actively advocating for them to cook the waste thoroughly before feeding it, as improper feeding is one of the major causes of disease transmission,” the official added.
The official further explained, “Education is important for the farmers, and a need in change their behavior for compliance to avoid swill feeding, and strengthen cross-border collaboration mechanism to prevent, control and eliminate transboundary animal diseases, such as ASF, through sharing disease information on real-time-basis so that appropriate prevention measures are put in place and also implement coordinated intervention measures to control and eliminate livestock diseases.”
Meanwhile, in response to the outbreak, MoAL has urged pig farmers to implement stricter biosecurity measures, including, avoiding the feeding of food waste from hotels and restaurants to pigs. Ensuring that any kitchen waste provided to pigs is boiled and cooked for at least 30 minutes.
Preventing domestic pigs from coming into contact with wild pigs and restricting visitor access to farms.
Reporting any suspicious pig deaths both domestic and wild on the nearest livestock extension center or through the toll-free number 1244 to connect to DoL for help.
Currently, there are a total of 137 pigs across seven farms in Tsento Gewog, while Paro has 440 pigs in 25 piggery farms.
