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African Swine Fever detected in South Korea

South Korea is the latest Asian country to be hit by African Swine Fever.  The virus was detected at a farm near the country’s border with North Korea.  In an effort to contain the disease, nearly 4,000 pigs will be culled, and the country’s agriculture minister has placed a lockdown on all hog farms, slaughterhouses, and feed mills across the country for the next 48 hours.  According to Bloomberg, a second suspected case has been found near the farm where the first outbreak was reported.

South Korea is Asia’s fourth-largest pork consuming nation and according to the USDA, the country’s live hog inventory was 11.3 million hogs.

African Swine Fever does not impact people and poses no food safety risks, but it is highly contagious and is a deadly virus that affects hogs.  It was first found in China last August and has since spread to Mongolia, Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines, and North Korea.