Hapcheon: South Korea has confirmed a new African swine fever (ASF) case at a pig farm in the southeastern county of Hapcheon, raising the total number of cases this year to 21, authorities said Friday. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters is taking swift action in response to the outbreak.
According to Yonhap News Agency, quarantine officials have been dispatched to the affected farm to conduct an epidemiological investigation and restrict access to the site. Authorities plan to cull all 5,213 pigs raised at the farm to prevent further spread of the disease. A 24-hour standstill order has also been issued for livestock-related facilities in the surrounding areas as a precautionary measure.
The recent case follows the country's first ASF case of the year last month in the eastern city of Gangneung, which came after a two-month hiatus. While African swine fever does not affect humans, it is fatal to pigs, and there is currently no vaccine or cure available for the disease.