9th case of African swine fever confirmed in South Korea; India remains vigilant about the outbreak

(MENAFN- IANS) Seoul/New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS) South Korea has confirmed its ninth case of African swine fever (ASF) of the year, officials said on Sunday, as India remains vigilant about the outbreak of the disease. The latest ASF case was found at a pig Farm in Hwacheon, some 88 kilometers northeast of Seoul in Gangwon Province. More than 3,500 pigs at the farm will be slaughtered, according to the farm ministry. The previous case was detected at a local pig farm in late August. Authorities are investigating the affected farm and have implemented emergency quarantine measures to prevent ASF from spreading to nearby pig farms. Disinfection operations will be conducted at 233 pig farms in Hwacheon, and neighboring cities and counties, the ministry said. The ministry noted that the culling due to the outbreak at the Hwacheon farm accounts for only 0.03 percent of the country's total pig population, indicating a minimal impact on the local pork market. ASF does not affect humans but ...