Sixty Pigs Destined for Slaughter in Canggu Die Suddenly, Suspected to Have ASF
Sixty pigs destined for slaughter belonging to residents of Canggu village, North Kuta District, Badung Regency, Bali, died suddenly, suspected to have contracted African Swine Fever (ASF). The incident, which began in early April 2026, has left local farmers facing losses running into tens of millions of rupiah.
“All my pet pigs died. There was nothing left in the pen. There were 60 in total,” said Ketut Widanta, a pig farmer from Banjar Kayu Tulang, Canggu, on Thursday (21 May 2026).
The outbreak suspected to have attacked Widanta’s herd appeared gradually with uniform clinical signs. He said the incident was not the first to affect his farming business.
“My pigs have previously died suddenly five times since 2018. The symptoms are always the same: red spots appear, they lose their appetite,” Widanta said.
Widanta explained that the most conspicuous symptom of the disease is the change in the animals’ skin colour to reddening. Transmission is also believed to be very rapid, spreading to the entire pen population within days.
“The disease I suspect is ASF; usually it has already become infected about a week ago. Transmission is fast within a few days; if one is infected, all are certainly infected,” the man who has been gradually building his pig-raising business since 2000 said.
Dozens of pigs that died were buried by their owners to prevent further spread. He said he could only resign himself to fate, as there is currently no medicine or vaccine that can cure the deadly virus attacking the pigs.
“After all, my pigs weigh about 150 kilograms each. They were ready for slaughter, yet they died,” Widanta said.
In caring for his herd, Widanta said he routinely maintains barn cleanliness and applies a daily feeding regimen. Spraying disinfectant has also been done regularly, both before and after the mass-death outbreak.
“Every day I feed the pigs, and I also take leftovers from nearby restaurants. I have cleaned the barn, and disinfectants for sterilisation are also used,” he added.
Regarding the suspected source of transmission, Widanta suspects the virus entered via animal movements or human activity that carries disease agents from outside. The use of transport containers or transport pens that are unhygienic is also suspected to be a vehicle for spreading the virus between farms.
Meanwhile, the Badung Regency Department of Agriculture and Food has not issued a statement when contacted about the matter.
(dpw/dpw)