ASF outbreak kills 5,600 pigs in Hong Kong

A pig farm in Lau Fau Shan, rural Yuen Long district, near the border with mainland CHINA, tested positive for the ASF virus after staff took samples from 37 pigs for testing.

Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said it will clean and disinfect the farm and continue to keep local pig farms under close surveillance and carry out tests if necessary .

“The public should not be concerned,” a department spokesman said in a statement carried by REUTERS , adding that the incident would not affect the overall supply of live pigs or the operation of local slaughterhouses.

The department has notified the World Organization for Animal HEALTH and is investigating and tracing the source of the virus in collaboration with international experts, it added.

In 2018, China experienced a large-scale outbreak of ASF, which led to a massive decline in the pig population. However, in recent years the situation with the disease has improved.