South Korea has banned people from bringing livestock products into the country... as part of its ongoing efforts to prevent African swine fever breaking out here.<br />Lee Seung-jae has more. <br />African swine fever was first discovered in China last August. <br />Since then,... Mongolia, Vietnam and Cambodia have reported cases of the disease.<br />And with South Korean authorities finding traces of African swine fever on a sausage product brought in by a Chinese traveler last month,... Seoul has sharply ramped up quarantine measures.<br />What makes this disease so concerning is that so far... it has shown a 100-percent fatality rate.<br />"African swine fever is a viral disease that occurs only in pigs. It could cause national harm, since the fatality rate is very high, and unlike foot-and-mouth disease, there's no vaccine."<br />China has reported more than 100 cases of African swine fever so far. <br />The rising number of cases is stoking fear in South Korea as China produces almost 700 million pigs a year, or about half of the world's total.<br />Given the rapid spread of African swine fever in China,... the South Korean government will amend its control and containment guidelines.<br />It's also advised that South Koreans who visit affected regions take extra care.<br />"When you return from a trip to China, Vietnam or Cambodia, you should wash and disinfect all the clothes and shoes you wore during the trip."<br />With the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warning the disease may spread to other parts of Asia,... South Korea will begin research this year to try and develop a vaccine.<br />Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News. <br />
