Korea raises alert against African swine fever

The South Korean government said Wednesday it has issued an alert against African swine fever to help prevent the spread of the highly contagious animal disease, following three outbreaks in China this month.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it has reminded local livestock breeders not to travel to affected regions in China, strengthen disinfection measures and take extra precautions when feeding food waste to pigs.

The virus does not affect people, but virulent strains are often fatal to pigs of all ages, leading to cullings of the infected animals.

The ministry said it will prepare standard operating procedures to effectively carry out animal quarantine measures. (Yonhap)