South Korea has reported another case African swine fever in the country's northern region.
It comes about a week of no new cases.
To prevent the disease from spreading further,... the government convened another meeting today to discuss quarantine measures.
Yoon Jung-min tells us more.
South Korea has confirmed another case of African swine fever.
The Agriculture ministry said Wednesday that a pig farm in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi-do Province... where a suspected case was reported... had tested positive for the virus.
It is the second confirmed case of the disease in Yeoncheon county,... and the 14th overall in South Korea.
The news comes... just after the government designated 6 buffer zones in Nothern Gyeonggi-do Province where ASF has been reported, including Yeoncheon,... to prevent the disease from spreading to other regions.
Those regions are mostly concentrated near the border with North Korea,... adding concerns that it could spread across the border.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon convened another emergency meeting with relevant ministries... to discuss tighter quarantine measures.
Lee asked farmers to stop the practice of swill feeding,... one of the main suspected causes of the disease,... and called for improved sanitation at pig farms.
The Agriculture ministry immediately dispatched quarantine personnel to Yeoncheon County for an investigation.
A standstill order has also been issued,... and people and vehicles are prohibited from moving in and out of the region for 48 hours.
Some 8-thousand pigs at or near the site are expected to be culled,... adding to the nearly 150-thousand pigs nationwide that have been killed to control the outbreak.
African swine fever is not a threat to humans, but it is highly contagious and fatal to swine herds.
Since Korea's first outbreak in September, the disease has spread rapidly and has shown little signs of abating.
Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News.
