China will ban imports of pigs, wild boars and related products from Cambodia, its customs said on Monday, after the Southeast nation reported its first case of the highly-contagious African swine fever disease.

This comes as China is already battling the virus after it spread to every province and region on its mainland since first being detected there in early August.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation, FAO, since the China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) confirmed its first African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in Liaoning Province on 3 August 2018, 129 ASF outbreaks detected in 31 Provinces/Autonomous Region/Municipalities. MARA reported on 23 April 2019 that 1,020,000 pigs have been culled in an effort to halt further spread.

Since the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries in Cambodia confirmed its first ASF outbreak in Som Kaninh village, Som Thom commune, O Ya Dav District, Ratanakiri Province on 2 April 2019, more than 1700 pigs have died or been culled.

The country reported its first outbreak African swine fever in backyard pigs in early April.

REUTERS