Chinese authorities warn of "serious" African swine fever crisis

The Chinese authorities are using to control the growing crisis of African swine fever. The disease began last August and is now affecting Sichuan province, the country's leading hog-producing province.

Public warning

In a document jointly issued by the Ministries of Agriculture, Transport and Public Security, the Chinese authorities announced that they are imposing stricter measures to try to control the African swine fever crisis. These include stricter national inspections as well as tougher penalties for the slaughter or illegal movement of pigs.

This is particularly relevant to the measures taken against African swine fever, the authorities accusing unhygienic transport vehicles for pigs and the "lawless elements" that are moving animals away from areas at high risk for the rapid spread of the disease.

To date, 18 provinces are already affected by African swine fever and 200,000 pigs have already been slaughtered. According to the United Nations, the most virulent strain of African swine fever affecting China has caused a 100% mortality rate for infected pigs.

African swine fever crisis

It is only recently that the UN warned that African swine fever in China was probably "here to stay" and that it could eventually turn into an epidemic. He has no vaccine or treatment, and was first detected in Siberia last year. In August of this year, African swine flu was installed in farms in Europe as a result of several epidemics in China.

Although African swine fever poses no direct threat to human health, its spread in China remains a major problem, as the country produces the majority of the world's pork. In fact, China produces about half of the world's pigs, with a population of 500 million pigs.

As such, there is a good chance that supply and price problems will arise in the near future.

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