South Korea has implemented stronger quarantine steps to curb the spread of African swine fever (ASF) upon the outbreak of the disease from wild bores in the southern region, the agriculture ministry said Thursday.

The country has reported seven ASF cases from wild boars since last week in North Gyeongsang Province, and authorities concerned held an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss joint countermeasures, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The government decided to intensify operations of hunting down wild boars and searching for affected animals.

It has beefed up the monitoring of local farms and enhanced disinfection measures, the ministry said.

ASF does not affect humans but is deadly to pigs. No vaccine or cure for the disease is now available.

So far this year, South Korea has confirmed at least nine ASF cases at pig farms across the country.

Source: Yonhap News Agency