Sri lanka: Sri Lanka's Department of Animal Production and Health has issued an extraordinary gazette notification outlining measures to prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF), a senior health officer told local media on Wednesday.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Hemali Abeyrathna Kothalawala, director general of the Department of Animal Production and Health, stated that all districts in Sri Lanka have been declared as ASF risk areas, and pigs are designated as disease risk animals. The gazette notification is set to take effect on October 3, 2025, and will remain in force for a period not exceeding three months from the date of implementation unless it is revoked earlier or extended.

The guidelines regulate several activities, including slaughtering pigs for meat without a transport permit; the sale, display, storage, supply, distribution, or further processing of pigs, pork, pork products, or infected materials without a permit; and slaughtering, storing, or processing in any slaughterhouse, storage facility, or meat processing center that is not approved by an authorized officer.

Sri Lanka first encountered the deadly African swine fever in 2024.