予防的殺処分へ法改正　アフリカ豚コレラ対策―農水省

　農林水産省は、アジアで猛威を振るう家畜伝染病「アフリカ豚コレラ（ＡＳＦ）」が国内で起きた場合に備え、発生地に近い養豚場の豚を未感染でも予防的に殺処分できるよう法改正する。国内で相次ぐ「豚コレラ（ＣＳＦ）」よりも感染力が強く、有効なワクチンがないためで、殺処分でまん延を防ぐ。
　現行の家畜伝染病予防法で、予防的殺処分ができるのは２０１０年に宮崎県で流行した口蹄（こうてい）疫に限られる。農水省はＡＳＦも対象とする改正案を来年の通常国会に提出する方針。
　予防的殺処分を実施するのは、ＡＳＦが確認された施設から半径数キロ圏内の養豚場となる見込み。ただ、養豚業に打撃を与えるため、実施範囲などに関し専門家の意見を聞きながら判断する。（2019/11/25-15:41）

Japan's agriculture ministry will seek to allow the culling of pigs as a preventive measure against African swine fever, in the event that the disease is found in the country.
   The ministry will submit a bill to next year's ordinary session of parliament, to revise the Act on Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control, ministry officials said. The law currently only allows preventive killings for dealing with foot-and-mouth disease, which broke out in Miyazaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan, in 2010.
   African swine fever, rampant in Asia, is more infectious than classical swine fever currently ravaging mainly central Japan and does not have an effective cure. The ministry sees the pre-emptive slaughter of uninfected pigs in farms near infected sites as the only viable way to prevent an epidemic.
   The culling measure is expected to apply to pig farms within several kilometers of facilities found to have African swine fever infections, according to the officials. The ministry will further consult with experts on the preferable scope for the measure, which is likely to deal a blow to the pork industry in the area.
   The revision bill will also seek to strengthen the state's authority over swine fever prevention, in an effort to speed up responses to outbreaks of the African or classical strains of the disease. Specifically, the bill would allow the state to force prefectures to issue instructions or orders to pig farms with slipshod sanitation management.