African Swine Fever Spreads

African swine fever is spreading despite efforts by quarantine authorities to contain it near the border with North Korea.

Samples from a pig farm in Gimpo near Seoul tested positive for African swine fever on Monday, proving that the deadly virus is spreading south. Pigs on another farm in Paju also test positive for the disease on Tuesday.

The first case of ASF was detected near the demilitarized zone last Tuesday and another in nearby Yeoncheon a day later.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said the farm in Gimpo houses around 1,800 pigs. It is 13.7 km away from the first farm that tested positive for the virus and 45.8 km from the second.

Health authorities have banned the movement of pigs and feed from farms in Gyeonggi Province, Incheon and Gangwon Province.

ASF has an incubation period of up to 19 days.