Seoul: North Korea confirms African swine fever outbreak

In this April 29, 2009 file photo, a South Korean farmer sprays disinfectant against a possible swine flu outbreak at a port farm in Paju, South Korea.  AP

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea is scrambling to prevent the spread of the highly contagious African swine fever on its pig industry after North Korea confirmed an outbreak at a farm near its border with China.

South Korea’s agriculture ministry on Friday said North Korea reported to the World Organization for Animal Health that 77 of the 99 pigs at a farm in Jagang province died of the disease and other 22 pigs were culled.

The outbreak in North Korea comes after the disease in past months ravaged farms in China, where more than a million pigs have been reportedly culled, and also spread to Vietnam, Cambodia and Mongolia.

Seoul is stepping up quarantine measures in border areas while also seeking to cooperate with the North to stem the spread of the fever. /ee