How far can African swine fever spread?

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting both domestic pig and wild boar populations.Once introduced, it is a terrible disease that can devastate the swine industry in many countries.ASF has spread most recently beyond China to Southeast Asia, and parts of the Korean Peninsula.The majority of Asian countries consume pork as the primary source of meat compared to all other meat products.Particular emphasis is on the spread of ASF within North Korea and on future perspectives including protective guidelines.Thus far, the Korean peninsula has endured an extensive history of diseases, most notably from foot and mouth disease.For this reason, the Korean swine industries are familiar with the detrimental impacts of such a disease.On the other hand, exposure to a disease like ASF will decimate the swine industry even further.Therefore, it is crucial to bring urgent awareness to the spread of ASF.Keywords: African swine fever; epidemiology Only a few years ago, African swine fever (ASF) was a forgotten disease.Leading researchers believed it was merely a trivial concern for another country to solve.However, in recent years, ASF has entered the spotlight to pose as one of the most threatening epidemics in the swine industry, worldwide.ASF is a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease found in domestic and wild pigs.The viral endemic originated in southern equatorial regions of Africa in warthogs and bush pigs, but, intriguingly, ASF viral infections in these African wild pigs remain asymptomatic.The ASF virus (ASFV) also infects soft ticks of the genus Ornithodoros, which act as natural reservoirs.ASF is typically characterized by high fever, inactivity, hemorrhages in the skin and internal organs, and death within a range of 2-10 days.Mortality rates may be as high as 100% [1].There is no vaccine or treatment for the ASFV.Fortunately, ASF cannot be transmitted to humans through direct contact with a pig.ASF is a disease of pigs only and therefore is not a threat to other livestock.Briefly, the epidemiology of ASF began with the first recorded outbreak occurring in the Montgomery region of Kenya, Africa in 1921.Then, ASF crossed the continent to Europe and