Authorities in China are working on controlling the growing African swine fever crisis. The illnesses began last August, and have now reached the province of Sichuan, the nation’s top swine-producing province.

Public Warning

In a document jointly released by the Ministries of Agriculture, Transportation and Public Security, Chinese authorities announced that they are imposing stricter measures in attempts to control the African swine fever crisis. These include stricter nationwide inspections as well as harsher punishments for the illegal slaughter or transportation of pigs.

This is especially relevant to the measures against African swine fever as authorities are blaming the unhygienic transportation vehicles for pigs as well as the “lawless elements” moving animals out of the high-risk areas for the rapid spread of the illnesses.

To date, 18 provinces are already affected by African swine fever with 200,000 pigs already culled. According to United Nations (UN), the most virulent strain of African swine fever affecting China has caused a 100 percent fatality rate for the infected pigs.

African Swine Fever Crisis

Only recently, the UN warned that African swine fever in China is likely “here to stay,” and that it could possibly turn into an epidemic. It has no vaccine or cure, and was first detected in Siberia last year. By August of this year, African swine flu had made its way to farms in Europe following multiple outbreaks in China.

Although African swine fever poses no direct danger to human health, its spread in China is still a major problem given the fact that the nation produces a majority of the world’s pork. In fact, China produces about half of the world’s pigs, with the country having a population of 500 million swine.

As such, there is the serious possibility of having supply and price problems in the near future.