Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan today convened another meeting for briefings by the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department and the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department on their preparations to guard against African Swine Fever spreading to Hong Kong.

Prof Chan said African Swine Fever is a contagious disease in pigs that will not be transmitted to humans, posing no food safety risk.

“Nevertheless, we do not take the issue lightly, and have already stepped up the biosecurity work in various areas, including local pig farms, slaughterhouses and boundary checkpoints. We will take further measures having regard to the latest development.

"Although African Swine Fever does not involve any food safety issue, due to the need to prevent this disease from infecting local pig farms, pigs being tested to be African Swine Fever-borne or coming from African Swine Fever-infected registered farms will be culled and not released to the market,” she said.

She advised the public not to buy pork from unknown sources and thoroughly cook the pork before consumption.

Vehicles and personnel entering and leaving slaughterhouses and pig farms will be cleaned and disinfected.

The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department will inspect the health certificates of all live pig consignments from the Mainland and monitor the health status of live pigs at boundary checkpoints.

All imported and local pigs have to undergo ante and post-mortem inspections in slaughterhouses before being supplied to the market.

If suspected symptoms are detected in pigs, samples will be immediately taken for rapid tests.