(Cheongju=Yonhap News) Reporter Jeon Chang-hae = The North Chungcheong Animal Hygiene Testing Institute issued an 'alert' for the occurrence of African swine fever (ASF) across the entire province on the 26th.
This follows the occurrence of ASF at a pig farm in Dangjin City, South Chungcheong Province, adjacent to the area, on the 24th.
A total of 10 pig farms in the province with epidemiological links to the affected farm in Dangjin have been identified.
Clinical and detailed tests conducted by the quarantine authorities on these farms, after imposing movement restrictions, did not reveal any significant abnormalities.
However, to prepare for any possible scenarios, continuous inspections will be carried out on these farms, and disinfection efforts will be intensified at livestock-related facilities.
The concern is the steady detection of wild boars carrying the ASF virus.
In the province, a total of 540 cases of wild boars testing positive for the ASF virus have been reported over the past five years: 53 cases in 2021, 226 cases in 2022, 174 cases in 2023, 74 cases in 2024, and 13 cases this year.
The quarantine authorities emphasized that preemptive measures are necessary to minimize damage as the breeding season for wild boars, which runs from December to January, increases the risk of ASF virus entering pig farms.
Jeon Jeong-woon, Director of the North Chungcheong Animal Hygiene Testing Institute, stated, "ASF has occurred in pigs in neighboring provinces, creating a situation where Chungbuk is encircled, and internally, the detection of ASF in wild boars continues, making it a grave situation," urging the minimization of human and vehicle entry into farms and thorough disinfection.
This year, ASF has occurred in a total of six pig farms in South Korea: three in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province; one in Paju, Gyeonggi Province; one in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province; and one in South Chungcheong Province.