The African swine fever outbreak continues in the northern region of Gyeonggi-do. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on September 24, the African swine fever has spread to Yeoncheon (Sept. 18) and Gimpo (Sept. 23) after it first broke out in Paju on September 17. On September 24, authorities confirmed another case of the fever in Paju and Ganghwado. The swine fever was detected in five locations in just a week. The quarantine barrier in the northern Gyeonggi region has been penetrated. In the past, authorities focused on quarantine efforts in the border areas north of the Han River after setting a quarantine zone within a 10 km radius of the farm where the disease first occurred. Unfortunately, this defensive wall has been penetrated and signs show a spread of the disease.

A bigger problem is that we cannot rule out the possibility of the disease spreading nationwide. According to the epidemiological investigation, authorities raised the possibility of the virus being spread by vehicles. They found out that a vehicle that had visited the Paju farm where the first case of the disease occurred also visited another farm where the disease was detected on 2-4 occasions. The problem is that these vehicles had traveled to the southern regions, such as Gyeongsangbuk-do, raising an alarm.

The African swine fever has devastated pig farms in China and Vietnam, and has spread to North Korea. South Korea, adjacent to North Korea, needed thorough measures to prevent an outbreak. However, authorities failed to block the disease, and the first case was discovered in Paju. The authorities were laid back in their initial response to the Paju outbreak. They rushed and banned the transportation of swine, but the ban was only for two days. It was a measure that took into account the economic activities of the pig farms. However, when it comes to the African swine fever, the most important thing is to isolate the pigs from the virus. Even if there is a short-term impact on the supply of pork, authorities should have controlled the situation until they identified the cause, but they allowed an opening. Authorities will have to inspect all the farms in the northern Gyeonggi-do area to identify the status of the virus and also plan quarantine measures for each stage in the spread of the disease.

Early quarantine is key in the successful defense against the African swine fever. If we miss this opportunity, the situation could lead to a disaster. Once transmitted, 100% of the pigs die. And there's no effective drug. If we can't stop the disease from spreading now, our pig farms could be destroyed. It could also bring great challenges to the economy of the common people, such as pig-related industries and restaurants. This is why the government should heighten the level of alarm against the African swine fever to that of a disaster. The government needs to take strong measures that might even seem excessive to prevent the spread of the virus. And pig farms need to immediately report any suspicious cases allowing authorities to act quickly. Even if this results in short-term damage, we need to make sure the virus does not spread.