African swine fever kills hundreds of pigs in Bali
Hundreds of pigs have died from African swine fever in Bali, authorities said Wednesday, marking the Indonesian holiday island's first recorded outbreak and after the virus claimed some 30,000 hogs in Sumatra, AFP reported.
Ida Bagus Wisnuardhana, Bali's agriculture and food security agency chief, said nearly 900 pigs succumbed to swine fever since mid-December.
"The results are positive for African swine fever," Ida told reporters, referring to tests performed on the dead animals.
The string of deaths had appeared to stop over the past week, Wisnuardhana said, adding Bali would go ahead with a pork festival on Friday in a bid to ease concerns over the outbreak.
The announcement comes after Indonesia said this week it would temporarily ban some livestock imports from China over fears about the coronavirus, which has killed almost 500 people in China, where it originated.
