The Fifth case of African swine fever was confirmed today at a farm in Ganghwa County, Incheon.<br />The virus is harmless to humans but fatal to pigs, so it's a potential risk to nationwide pork supplies.<br />Kim Jae-hee has the updates.<br />South Korea's Agriculture Ministry confirmed on Tuesday the fifth case of African swine fever in the country.<br />Authorities are on high alert, especially as the case come just hours after South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon stressed the need for a change in quarantine measures.<br />"We have to admit that the quarantine efforts so far were not enough. It's time for us to change our way of thinking. We need to be over-preventive, decisive, and have quick judgement."<br />The South Korean government is ramping up efforts to prevent further spread of the highly contagious disease, including slaughtering pigs within 3 kilometers of the affected farms.<br />The agriculture ministry has issued a 48-hour nationwide standstill for all pig farms, feed factories, and slaughterhouses as of Tuesday 12:00 PM.<br />The six tightly controlled zones in northern Gyeonggi-do Province were also expanded to the entire province, the city of Incheon, and Gangwon-do Province.<br />Live pigs from Jeju Island are also prohibited from moving to other regions starting Tuesday.<br />Four months ago, North Korea reported its own outbreak of African swine fever.<br />The National Intelligence Service said on Tuesday that African swine fever has completely wiped out pigs in Pyeonganbuk-do Province in North Korea.<br />Local authorities are currently inspecting waterways that connect to the North.<br />Starting next month, South Korea's Rural Development Administration will work with Vietnam to discover the route of the spread,... as preliminary research to formulating a vaccine.<br />Kim Jae-hee, Arirang News.<br />
