November 26, 2018 

African swine fever reaches Beijing; 73 cases recorded so far

China has reported the first cases of African swine fever (ASF) in its capital, Beijing.

The highly contagious disease was discovered on two farms in the city's southwestern district of Fangshan, Reuters reported.

Feng Zhongwu, chief of the animal husbandry and veterinarian bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, told a press briefing that supplies in Beijing would not be affected by the outbreak.

He explained that pigs culled because of African swine fever were only a tiny percentage of the overall pigs sent to slaughter in China, adding that hog supplies in the national market were still relatively ample.

China produced 702 million pigs in 2017, according to official data.

Feng said that as of Nov. 22 China has confirmed 73 cases of ASF in 20 provinces and culled a total of 600,000 pigs.

The Beijing government reassured the public that ASF cannot spread to humans, and that meat sold at city markets goes through "strict inspections".