Pig disease ruled out in Australia, but investigations continue

CANBERRA - Authorities have ruled out the presence of a potentially devastating pig disease in NSW, but are continuing investigations of a possible case of post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) in South Australia.

Australia is one of the few countries free of the disease, which has the potential to cripple the $2.5 billion pork industry and the thousands of jobs that depend on it.

PMWS, already in New Zealand, usually affects pigs aged between six and eight weeks. They lose weight rapidly, take on a runted and jaundiced appearance, and develop high fevers.

It is not thought to be particularly contagious, but has a high fatality rate.

Australia's chief veterinary officer Gardner Murray said the Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases (CCEAD) has found the NSW pig herd remains free of the disease.

"But veterinary authorities will continue to monitor the piggery as a precaution until the end of September," Dr Murray said.

"CCEAD also agreed that investigations will continue by veterinary authorities into the South Australian piggery before PMWS can be diagnosed or ruled out. The South Australian herd will remain subject to movement controls."

NSW chief vet Bruce Christie said the mortality rates at the NSW pig farm, which has not been identified, would have been much higher if PMWS had been present.

"In this particular piggery there wasn't a high incidence of mortality, it was well within the normal range," Dr Christie told ABC Radio.

"What alerted us were some concerns with a sample, which was taken at the piggery for other reasons, and we then had to follow up on the possible case of PMWS."

Dr Murray, meanwhile, stressed that the disease is not a public health concern.

The investigation into PMWS had not hurt export markets, he said.

"To date there has been no impact on export markets as a result of this investigation and Australian authorities are continuing to work to ensure this remains the case," Dr Murray said.

"Previous stringent import controls on pig meat remain in place."

The PMWS investigation comes amid a battle between the pork industry and federal government over pork imports.

Federal Court judge Murray Wilcox last month strongly criticised a government import risk analysis used to underpin the approval of pig meat from a number of countries.

The government is appealing Justice Wilcox's ruling, which found quarantine authorities had ignored warnings that the imports would effectively guarantee PMWS, which kills millions of piglets each year, gains a foothold in Australia.

Justice Wilcox issued orders banning any more permits under the import risk analysis and blocked one company's permit to import.

But the government has refused to revoke another 83 permits which were issued under the same import-risk analysis.

- AAP