Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province said on the 17th that it confirmed an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) at a pig farm in Gangneung. About 20,000 pigs being raised at the farm will all be culled under the standard operating procedure (SOP) and other emergency guidelines.
Provincial quarantine authorities said they received a report the previous day from the farm owner about pig deaths and, after conducting a detailed test, finally confirmed a positive result at about 1 a.m. that day. To prevent the spread of ASF, the authorities dispatched an initial quarantine team and an epidemiological investigation unit to the farm to control entry and carry out disinfection and an epidemiological investigation.
It was tallied that 10 farms within the 10-kilometer quarantine zone are raising about 25,000 pigs.
Provincial quarantine authorities will impose movement restrictions on pigs at farms within the quarantine zone and carry out intensive disinfection and emergency detailed testing.
The Central Accident Control Headquarters for ASF issued a temporary standstill order for workers and vehicles at livestock-related facilities in Yangyang, Donghae, Jeongseon, Pyeongchang, and Hongcheon, which border Gangneung, from 1 a.m. on the 17th to 1 a.m. on the 19th.
Park Hyeong-cheol, the province's director of agricultural policy, said, "ASF is a deadly disease where a moment of complacency leads to large-scale damage," and urged, "All pig farms should intensify clinical observation of the animals they raise, control access to farms, and conduct internal and external disinfection."