(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Yoon-gu = The Central Incident Response Headquarters for African Swine Fever (ASF) announced on the 1st that the intermediate epidemiological investigation results for the ASF case that occurred in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, on the 16th revealed that the farm and pen barrier measures at the affected farm were generally insufficient. The farm in question is a large-scale breeding farm with a high number of vehicles entering and exiting, and the vehicle access routes and pig movement routes within the farm intersect, making it structurally vulnerable in terms of disease control. In particular, numerous cases were identified where basic barrier measures, such as managing farm and pen entry personnel and vehicles, and blocking wild animals, were not followed. Key examples include: ① inadequate management of fixed vehicle disinfectants at the main entrance, resulting in insufficient disinfection of the undersides of vehicles, and ② insufficient vehicle entry control devices, allowing vehicles that did not undergo disinfection procedures to enter the farm. The Quarantine Headquarters believes that these combined factors of vulnerability in disease control likely led to contamination sources entering the farm. Genetic analysis results showed that the viruses found in Gangneung, Anseong in Gyeonggi Province, and Yeongguang in Jeonnam Province were of genotype 2 IGR-Ⅰ, not the genotype 2 IGR-Ⅱ typically found in domestic wild boars, and were the same as the genotype found in the outbreak in Dangjin, Chungnam Province, in November last year. Given that the genetic analysis results indicate a low likelihood of contamination by wild boars within the region, the Central Incident Response Headquarters is focusing on the possibility of artificial introduction through people, vehicles, and items. To prevent further outbreaks due to insufficient farm barrier measures, the Central Incident Response Headquarters plans to check the implementation level of the ASF control and management reinforcement measures to increase their effectiveness. During the nationwide simultaneous disinfection week, they plan to manage the simultaneous disinfection of pig farms and livestock facilities, as well as all entering vehicles, people, and items. Additionally, they plan to complete environmental inspections of livestock products and items for all workers, including foreign workers, at all pig farms nationwide by next month, and check the disease control status at high-risk farms, including quarantined farms. The Central Incident Response Headquarters stated, "Following the outbreaks in Gangwon and Gyeonggi regions, there have been sporadic outbreaks across the nation, including in Jeonnam, making the situation extremely serious..."