S. Korea reports more wild boars infected with African swine fever

SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korean authorities said Tuesday they have found six more wild boars infected with the deadly African swine fever (ASF) virus in areas near the border with North Korea, bringing the number of cases to 183 nationwide.

Two wild boars were found dead in the eastern county of Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, and four others in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, north of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Environment. They all tested positive for the disease.

South Korea confirmed its first-ever outbreak of the animal disease in September last year. Local authorities have culled about 400,000 domestic pigs as part of preventive measures.

Although no additional ASF cases on farms have been reported since early October, authorities continue to discover dead wild boars carrying the disease, mostly along the inter-Korean border.

The virus has been haunting pig farms across the country as there are currently no vaccines or cures.

So far, all confirmed cases among both domestic and wild pigs have been reported in border areas. Pyongyang reported its first outbreak of ASF at a pig farm near its border with China in May.

The disease spreads through direct contact with infected animals or their remains, unlike other animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease, which is airborne.

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