China reports new swine fever outbreaks

BEIJING: China’s agriculture ministry said on Wednesday two new African swine fever outbreaks were confirmed in Sichuan and Qinghai provinces.

The new case in the city of Bazhong in Sichuan killed 19 of 117 pigs present on a farm, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement on its website.

The case in the city of Xining in Qinghai killed 14 of 69 pigs present on a farm, it added.

What is African swine fever?

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease of pigs, warthogs, European wild boar and American wild pigs. All age groups are equally susceptible.

With high virulence forms of the virus, ASF is characterized by high fever, loss of appetite,
haemorrhages in the skin and internal organs, and death in 2-10 days on average. Mortality
rates may be as high as 100%.

The organism which causes ASF is a DNA virus of the Asfarviridae family.