South Korea issues red alert after African swine fever case reported

ANKARA

South Korea's health authorities on Monday issued a nationwide "red alert" to beef up the response after an African swine fever (ASF) case was reported for the first time in two months, local media reported.

The latest ASF case was reported on Sunday at a pig farm in the Yeoncheon county of Gyeonggi province, according to the Yonhap news agency.

This marked the fifth confirmed ASF case this year. The last such case was reported in the city of Paju in July.

The government issued a 48-hour standstill order for pig farms and related facilities in Yeoncheon and adjoining regions, and is taking necessary measures to prevent the spread of the virus, including the culling of affected pigs.

"Since all five cases this year have been concentrated in the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, the provincial government must mobilize all available human and material resources to make every effort to prevent any further spread of the disease," Vice Agriculture Minister Kang Hyoung-seok said at a disaster response meeting.

ASF is deadly to pigs and does not affect humans.

There is currently no vaccine or cure for the infection.

*Writing by Aamir Latif.