No. of African swine fever-positive wild boars in Korea rises to 86

Workers in protective suits are seen at a checkpoint on a road leading to a village near a farm where African swine fever was detected, in Fangshan district of Beijing, Nov. 23, 2018. Reuters

Three more wild boars found dead near the border with North Korea have tested positive for African swine fever (ASF), authorities here said Saturday, bringing the number of such cases to 86 in South Korea.

The confirmation came days after the wild boar carcasses were found in Paju, just north of Seoul, according to the National Institute of Environmental Research, which is affiliated with the environment ministry.

The carcasses were buried later and the area where they were found was sterilized to prevent spread of the disease.

Of the 86 confirmed ASF cases from wild boars, 31 were from Paju, a town near the border with North Korea.

In May, North Korea confirmed its first outbreak of African swine fever on a pig farm near its border with China. South Korea has reported 14 cases of pigs infected with the disease on farms since September.

South Korea has not reported additional ASF cases on local farms since October, but wild boars continue to be found dead with the disease, mostly along the inter-Korean border.

It remains unclear whether the disease came from the North. (Yonhap)