Thousands of pigs culled

Hong Kong: Authorities in Hong Kong yesterday ordered the culling of all 3000 pigs in a herd after the African swine fever virus was discovered to be spreading for the first time in one of the city’s farms.

The disease, which is harmless to humans, is very rare in Hong Kong. The last outbreak in 2019 was due to pigs that were imported from the mainland and resulted in the culling of 10,000 pigs.

African swine fever is endemic on the mainland, where it devastated farms in 2018 and 2019, and has caused significant damage again this winter.

Hong Kong has about 43 pig farms, accounting for 15% of its live pig supplies, according to a February 5 report by the United States Department of Agriculture. — Reuters