South Korea has banned people from bringing livestock products into the country... as part of its ongoing efforts to prevent African swine fever breaking out here.
Lee Seung-jae has more.
African swine fever was first discovered in China last August.
Since then,... Mongolia, Vietnam and Cambodia have reported cases of the disease.
And with South Korean authorities finding traces of African swine fever on a sausage product brought in by a Chinese traveler last month,... Seoul has sharply ramped up quarantine measures.
What makes this disease so concerning is that so far... it has shown a 100-percent fatality rate.
"African swine fever is a viral disease that occurs only in pigs. It could cause national harm, since the fatality rate is very high, and unlike foot-and-mouth disease, there's no vaccine."
China has reported more than 100 cases of African swine fever so far.
The rising number of cases is stoking fear in South Korea as China produces almost 700 million pigs a year, or about half of the world's total.
Given the rapid spread of African swine fever in China,... the South Korean government will amend its control and containment guidelines.
It's also advised that South Koreans who visit affected regions take extra care.
"When you return from a trip to China, Vietnam or Cambodia, you should wash and disinfect all the clothes and shoes you wore during the trip."
With the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warning the disease may spread to other parts of Asia,... South Korea will begin research this year to try and develop a vaccine.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
