Prime Minister Han Duck-soo of South Korea issued an order on Sunday to implement emergency preventive measures after authorities discovered additional cases of African swine fever (ASF) at a southeastern county pig farm.
Following the confirmation of the sixth case of the virus this year, authorities issued the directives. The African Swine Fever kills pigs but does not harm people. A farm housing about 900 pigs in Yecheon County, 161 kilometers southeast of Seoul, confirmed the information according to Yonhap News Agency.
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According to a statement from the prime minister’s office, Han directed authorities to take the necessary actions, such as culling, a halt order, and an epidemiological analysis.
The authorities have imposed standstill in Yecheon and six other neighboring counties and cities, including Andong and Yeongju.
Authorities intend to clean up the area and surrounding roads, cull pigs at the farm, and carry out an epidemiological investigation.
The agricultural ministry stated that as the farm in question raised only 0.008% of all pigs in the nation, and they do not expect the culling to have an influence on the availability of pork in the local market.