China has ordered the world's top pork producer, WH Group Ltd., to shut a major slaughterhouse as authorities race to stop the spread of deadly African swine fever (ASF) after a second outbreak in the planet's biggest hog herd in two weeks.
The discovery of infected pigs in Zhengzhou city, in central Henan province, about 1,000 kilometers from the first case ever reported in China, pushed pig prices lower on Friday and stirred animal health experts' fears of fresh outbreaks — as well as food safety concerns among the public.
Though often fatal to pigs, with no vaccine available, ASF does not affect humans, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.