A farm in South Gyeongsang Province is sprayed with disinfectants to prevent the spread of African swine fever. (Photo: Yonhap News)
The agriculture ministry has vowed increased vigilance against African swine fever this winter as cases of infection among wild boars continue to rise.
Agriculture Minister Kim Hyun-soo told reporters Thursday that authorities are working to reduce the number of wild boars in the country as part of quarantine measures.
He said, "Currently, the country has around 4.1 wild boars for every square kilometer. We plan to reduce the figure to two, which is considered a manageable level in preventing the spread of the disease."
ASF does not affect humans but is deadly to pigs.
More than 940 ASF cases linked to wild boars have been reported from inter-Korean border regions since 2019, according to the ministry.
Efforts to prevent the spread of the disease include the installation of fences and regulating the migration of wild boars.
South Korea has not reported a case of ASF linked to pig farms since last October.
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