The latest country to report an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) is Indonesia, specifically in the province of North Sumatra, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations confirmed on Dec. 12.
ASF, also known as “pig Ebola,” is a highly contagious disease that is fatal to pigs but harmless to humans. Because there is no cure for the disease, contaminated animals are being killed.
According to Outbreak News Today, 11 countries have reported ASF outbreaks since August 2018, including Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Myanmar, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, and Timor-Leste.
“This is the largest animal disease outbreak in history,” said Dirk Pfieffer, a veterinary epidemiologist at the City University of Hong Kong.
“It makes the foot and mouth disease and BSE outbreaks pale in comparison to the damage that is being done. And we have no way to stop it from spreading.”
The outbreak was first reported in China in August last year, according to The Epoch Times—all but two of its total of 34 provinces had been affected, with the country destroying more than 1 million pigs.
Furthermore, it is estimated that up to 200 million animals may have been slaughtered, reported The Irish Times.
Because China is home to almost half of the world’s pigs, the global price for pork soared by up to 40 percent.
When the outbreak hit Vietnam early this year, it was reported that 56 of its 63 provinces were affected by the disease. Last week, Vietnamese officials announced that 2.5 million pigs had been culled so far.
While the disease is harmless to humans, the culling could put many people at risk of poverty.
“I don’t have any other job and my income that provides for my entire family relies solely on these pigs. If they die because of swine flu then everybody in the family will die too,” Sem Oun, a 58-year-old Vietnamese farmer, and father of two, told The Associated Press.
In Vietnam, 2.4 million households are engaged in pig farming, The Epoch Times reported.
Due to its devastatingly fast spread, many preventative efforts are being taken by non-infected countries such as Thailand and Australia.
According to the ABC, Australian travelers are being warned not to bring back food or footwear if they travel to Asia.
“Most importantly, just disinfect your shoes or, you know, if you don’t need to bring your thongs back leave them over there,” Australian Pork Limited’s chief executive Margo Andrae told the ABC.
The virus can easily travel long distances through footwear, clothing, or vehicles as it can live for several weeks.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is working with the Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services on preventative regulations. They are currently drafting recommendations on African swine fever control appropriate for Indonesian conditions.
“We have to prevent and fight this disease like fighting an enemy,” Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told Cabinet officials.
