However, deputy chief minister Jeffrey Kitingan, who is also the state agriculture and fisheries minister, said further tests will still have to be carried out for confirmation.

“Initial tests showed that eight of the 13 samples collected from the pigs in Pitas showed positive results for ASF,” he said, in a statement.

He added that the DVS in Putrajaya is currently conducting tests for the disease via DNA sequencing.

“We should be able to get the results in a day or two.”

Kitingan was told by Sabah DVS director Dr Peter Lee that the state veterinary staff were already on the field following a report about the possible outbreak two weeks ago to curb the spread of the disease.

The viral disease has ripped through Asia since it emerged in China in 2018, with at least 100 million pigs already lost to ASF or culled to corral the disease.

ASF is fatal to pigs but harmless to humans.

Kitingan said that traces of the disease were only found among domestic pigs in Pitas and not in the wild bearded pigs which were found dead in several east coast districts since December.

Previously, more than 30 wild boars were found dead in mysterious circumstances in Kinabatangan, Sugut and Paitan.

“We are fortunate that Pitas is not a pig-producing district. It is home to only a few hundred domestic pigs plus the wild boars roaming in the estates and jungle.

“The nearest town with some pig population is Kota Marudu, which is about 50km away, and Kudat, 140km away,” he said.

Sabah’s main pig-producing areas are Tamparuli, Tuaran and Papar on the west coast and Sandakan and Tawau on the east coast.

Kitingan assured that all the pork sold in markets had been passed for human consumption, slaughtered in a licenced slaughterhouse approved by DVS and inspected before going into the market.

“The department also carried out tests from time to time for quality monitoring and disease surveillance,” he said.

He also advised the industry players to step up their farm’s biosecurity.