Pork fried rice, pork dumplings, these are just a few examples of China’s obsession with all things pig meat. However, in recent days, an alarming outbreak of African Swine Fever has cropped up in pigs in 7 different Chinese provinces and caused around 40,000 pigs’ demise. This could have serious consequences for a country with a pig population of 433 million.
Origins of the Disease
Scientists have been able to determine that the strain of African Swine Fever that is infecting China currently, was first discovered in Georgia, the former Soviet Republic, 10 years ago. This leads many to speculate that the disease may have spread to China via a live pig smuggling operation across the Russia-Chinese border. Considering that pig meat is 15% cheaper in Russia than in China, there is strong economic evidence behind this theory. Also, the location where the outbreak began in China provides further evidence. The outbreak began in Northern China in the Inner Mongolia region. It began on a backyard farm where out of 159 animals, 8 hogs ended up dead and 14 more were infected. Since this inception, the disease has spread rapidly throughout China and the world.
Progression of the Disease and Steps the Chinese Government has Taken to Mitigate Effects
After the initial outbreak of the disease, it has spread to 7 different Chinese provinces. The reason for such rapid infection is likely due to the fact that in China, many pig farmers travel a long way to sell their pigs given the wide disparity of pork prices between Chinese provinces. The disease has even gone international and has spread to Europe and may be affecting the US any week now. Given the severity of this crisis, the Chinese government has taken many steps to try to stop the spread of infection. For example, they have banned the transport of pigs in China, and have banned the selling of pork products from infected provinces or provinces neighboring infected provinces. Further, it is common practice in China to feed pigs table scraps which may contain pork products. However, given that the African Swine Fever virus can survive for up to a month in pork products like salami or pepperoni, the Chinese government has cracked down on the feeding of table scraps to pigs to ensure that pigs do not get infected by eating infected table scraps. Also, the government-sponsored newspaper People’s Daily issued a statement urging citizens not to worry about catching the disease since it only affects pigs. It also stated, “Pork bought through standard channels must all go through inspection, the public does not need to worry”. However, the effects, especially the economic effects, of this crisis should have everybody worried.
The Future of the Chinese Pork Industry
The Chinese pork industry, at $128 billion is one of the largest in the world. However, this strain of African Swine Fever has no vaccine and is expected to sweep through China’s 433 million pigs. In fact, the economic effects are already beginning to be felt as prices for Chinese pork products have surged 6.4% since the beginning of the outbreak. Further, stocks for Chinese pork producers like WH Group Ltd. are beginning to plummet. Furthermore, a large national Chinese holiday is coming up in a few weeks leaving many major cities in danger for potential pork shortages. As Juan Lubroth, chief veterinary officer with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said, “What we’re seeing so far is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Reader’s Question: What do you think the future for the Chinese pork industry looks like? Comment Below!
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This was such an informative article Michael. I actually just heard about this from a friend who lives in China. Knowing how big the pork industry is in China, this could be extremely detrimental. Hopefully, a vaccine will be developed soon to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever.
Wow! What a great topic to write about. I never heard about the pork industry that was happening in China. After reading this article I am really concerned about the pigs and the pork that we are eating all over the world. Eventually, I hope that scientists and doctors will find a vaccine for the pigs so that I don’t have to worry about the disease coming and eat more pork products.
This was a fascinating article! I heard about this from my relatives in China and it sounds very serious. I can’t believe that this disease spread to 7 provinces already. I hope that this disease dies out soon!
This article was pretty interesting. I didn’t know how big the pork industry was in China. Knowing this now, I can see how this disease is significant to the Chinese people. The fact that it’s spreading so fast will cause food problems. I hope a cure is found soon.
Amazing article! This article was so surprising and scary. It’s so scary to think that one strain of African Swine Fever is infecting China currently through pork since pork is a Chinese food staple. I think that it’s terrible this strain of African Swine Fever has no vaccine and is expected to sweep through China’s 433 million pigs. I really hope that a vaccine will be created and that this problem will be solved!
This article made me really surprised when reading. I had no idea about this disease that was spreading in China until today. It’s unbelievable that the effect of African Swine Fever may affect up to 433 million pigs. After reading your article, I hope that a vaccine will be made or found soon. Thank you for writing such an interesting article!
Nice Article! It makes me sad to hear about what is happening to the pigs. I was not even aware of this before I read your article. I did not realize the importance of pigs in China either. I hope that they find a cure soon.
This is the first time I have heard of this disease. It is good that the government is trying to combat this disease, but this may not be strong enough to stop the spread of disease. The impact of this disease on China could be costly. Great article.
Pork in Chinese cuisine is essential, so this outbreak could be devastating for the celebration of upcoming Chinese holidays.
It is so unfortunate that because of a few people who participate in illegal trade and smuggling, that so many people are affected by this. This disease could end up killing millions, and all that just for money.
wow i never thought that china would have the largest and still growing pig industry! but i think it is devastating that disease spreads around the country due to no vaccines for the animal and the disease it can carry. Hopefully they can completely eradicate this epidemic and save the innocent people as well as the pigs.
Woah, this is a pretty interesting article about the pig disease epidemic happening in China. You described the history of the pig disease and how it progressed extremely well. I even learned that pork prices have soared as a result of this disease. I’m glad to hear that the Chinese government has taken action to mitigate the effects of the disease. Hopefully, with enough cooperation, this disease will be gone for good.
The topic being discussed is one of great prominence in China, seeing China’s massive pork industry. As such, an epidemic of this scale is truly devastating. Seeing the drastic effects in place already – like the soaring pork prices. Action must be taken by the government and people of China. A pork eater such as myself is naturally invested to this.
This is a very informative article. I’ve never heard about African Swine Fever before. The effects it’s having on both the pig population the economy seem devastating. It’s shocking that 433 million pigs could be affected by this disease. Hopefully a better way to control the disease is found soon.
Wow, I learned so much from reading this article. Firstly, I had no idea that the African Swine Fever was affecting China and was transmitted through a live pig smuggling operation between China and Russia. I also learned that this disease can be affecting the US any week now, which is extremely scary considering how much pork my family has at home. Lastly, I learned that the Chinese pork industry is worth $128 billion and is one of the largest in the world. Thanks for sharing, Michael, and I can’t wait to read more of your articles!
I hadn’t even known that there was a disease affecting pigs in China and around the world! It’s interesting how it started with a live pig smuggling operation between China and Russia; I wonder how the disease is affecting Russia right now. I was glad to read that it doesn’t harm people, since so many Chinese people are exposed to pork products, but this disease could have devastating impacts on the pork industry. It’s no surprise that prices have gone up and stocks of pork companies have dropped in China. I hope that this disease doesn’t spread far in China, or the rest of the world.
I have never heard of African Swine Fever and I am intrigued to learn more due to the affects of it on China. This affects China because many dishes have pork in it. I find it crazy that after the first knowing of the disease, it has spread to seven provinces. This disease may spread out to the United States, so people who normally eat pork should stop until they see if its ok to eat it. An interesting fact that I learned was that the chinese pork industry is at $128 billion.
Wow, I didn’t know that this disease is affecting China so much. I’ve actually never heard of the African Swine Fever before and how many pigs it kills. It’s crazy how it just started with a pig-smuggling operation between Russia and China. Since it already spread internationally, we better watch out for this disease in our pork. I hope they find a vaccine for this soon!
Wow, I learned so much from this article. I had no idea that so many pigs in China are getting sick. It’s devastating to hear about how the pigs are suffering and dying from this virus. I am glad that this virus doesn’t affect human health because pork is eaten a lot in China. Hopefully, the virus will not spread to the US and other countries that are currently unaffected.
Great article, Michael! They’re always so informative and descriptive! It’s horrible to hear that this disease could affect millions of pigs. Though it won’t harm humans, tons of animals are at risk, and people are doing so little to prevent an outbreak. All meats are an essential part of the economy, so this epidemic will have immense consequences. Hopefully a vaccine is discovered – otherwise, African Swine Flu will spread to other countries if not inoculated. Keep up the great work!
Great job on the article! I haven’t heard about this African Swine Fever impacting pigs until I read this article, but I’m sure I will begin to hear about it in the news soon. I can’t believe the disease has spread so quickly, and I don’t think it will slow down any time soon. I’m glad that the Chinese government has taken steps to try to stop the spread of the African Swine Fever, but I don’t think it will be too effective. I’m very happy that the disease can’t spread to humans, but humans will still be affected negatively. I hope a cure for African Swine Fever will be found soon.
Wow, I never even heard of this disease before! This article is eye-widening and made me feel concerned about the pig industry. I feel like I learned a lot from this article which makes me this about how impactful a disease could be in a certain industry. I can’t believe that this disease could spread so fast and I believe that this disease will be a problem in the next coming years because I don’t think that this disease will be stopped any time soon. Great article and I hope you keep on making great informational articles like this in the future!
I never knew that there was a pork industry in China. Also now I realize how much a disease can impact an industry. What I found amazing is that this disease spread so quickly. To know that the Chinese government has been trying to put an end to the spread of the African Swine Fever gives me a lot of relief. I am also happy that this disease is only affecting the industry and not humans right now. Overall this was a great article.
This is the first time I’ve heard about this issue, which is shocking since this is such a huge problem. Not only will it be detrimental economically, but culturally as well, since China uses pork in many of their dishes. It is upsetting to know that there is no vaccine to stop the outbreak of African Swine Flu. The only positive aspect is that the disease cannot affect humans as well as pigs, so the problem does not escalate any further. I hope that a cure is found soon, and the world’s pig population can stay healthy. This was a very informative and descriptive article!
Thank you for telling me about this important issue. I have never heard of this disease before. It must be very important to get it under control because of how big of a roll pork plays in chinas culture. Even though it wont effect the health of it will effect the economy negatively. I feel bad for all of the animals who will have to suffer.
Great article Michael! It was interesting to see how the Chinese government is taking steps in order to prevent the spread of this terrible disease. The economic repercussions of this disease will definitely be detrimental to the Chinese population as many rely on pork daily. It was fascinating to learn how fatal African Swine Disease is and how a single virus could potentially undermine an entire country. Hopefully, the disease does not spread any further.
I can’t believe people would be so irresponsible to allow this to occur. How could the Chinese government not realize this is a major problem and stop it. I am happy that I know about this disease so I can watch out for it. I’m very happy that the disease can’t spread to humans, but humans will still be affected negatively. I hope a cure for African Swine Fever will be found soon.
Wow, this was absolutely crazy to read about! It brings me back to when I was in China– eating pork dumplings seemed like an everyday occurance. It’s no secret the amount of pork that they eat, and so I am very upset to have read this. Especially since I had no idea there was an outbreak of this in the first place. Hopefully, they can get this under control ASAP! Thanks for the very informative article.
This shows how the interconnection of the world can be a bad thing. Diseases can spread easily. I really hope that the gov’t can get in control. Since, China is such a major country, it might spread to others, and create a global epidemic. I know a lot of Chinese people eat a lot of pork. Also, this reminds me of the MERS outbreak a couple years ago.
I never knew that a disease is currently infecting China’s pig supply. Since farmers have to travel long distances to be able to reach a market to sell their pigs, the disease is able to spread quickly. In addition, the disease can survive up to one month inside pork products. This causes many problems. However, it is a relief that humans are unable to contract this disease.
This is such an interesting article. I wonder what the effects of the African swine disease are. I also can’t believe that it has already spread to 7 provinces and can affect chinas population of pigs,443 million. I hope they find a vaccine.
Wow, what an interesting topic to write an article about. I didn’t even know that the pork industry was so popular in China, but know that I’ve read this article I feel concerned about all the pork consumed throughout the world. I believe that there will be a vaccine for this swine. I hope it happens before it is too late. It is very serious, and we shouldn’t over look how serious this African Swine is. It was very interesting the read that the swine can survive up to one month inside pork products. We must make sure that we carefully examine the health outcomes of the food we consume.
What an interesting article. I didn’t even know that the pork industry was so popular in China, but know that I’ve read this article I know there is a serious issue with all the pork consumed throughout the world. I believe that there will be a vaccine for this swine. I hope it happens before it is too late. It is very serious, and we shouldn’t over look how serious this African Swine is. It was very interesting the read that the swine can survive up to one month inside pork products. We must make sure that we carefully examine the health outcomes of the food we consume.
Fascinating article, Michael! It’s incredibly upsetting to learn that the pig population is decreasing so rapidly due to this disease. Pork is used in many Chinese dishes, so I hope a vaccine is developed soon. I was surprised to learn that China had a large pork industry. This outbreak of African swine fever could be detrimental. Thanks for sharing!
I’m really glad that this article was written because I feel it’s important for everyone to be aware of what is affecting certain parts of the world. I had no clue that the Chinese pork industry is so big. It is really upsetting to read that so many pigs are dying due to the African Swine Fever, though it is reassuring that humans cannot catch the disease. It is good to know that the Chinese government is doing a lot to prevent the spread of disease. Also, it was really interesting to read about scientists’ theory for how they think this disease spread to China. I hope that they are able to demolish the disease and that the pork industry can return to their previous powerful state. Great article!
Thanks for another great and informative article Michael! Before reading this article I never even knew that a small disease that started in Africa could have such a big impact many miles away! Even though I am greatly saddened by the fact that more and more pigs are becoming infected with such a deadly disease, I am glad that humans are not directly harmed. I also think it is quite scary that a swine fever is infecting a country that has 433 million pigs. It was very interesting to see what measures the Chinese government had taken to prevent the spread of the disease to other areas. I hope that a vaccine for the disease is found quickly to stop the Chinese Pork Industry from continuing to rapidly plummet.
Pork is one of the cheapest meat so Chinese love it a lot. However, it’s not as healthy as beef. So people with less money will prefer pork. After the disease break out, the people eating pork probably can’t switch to other meat. But I believe the scientists will invent the vaccine and the disease won’t trouble Chinese too long.
This article was very interesting. It was very interesting to learn about Chinese current events and especially something as significant as this epidemic. It is so concerning to hear about this topic because it affects so many people and has such a huge impact on the whole country. I didn’t know that pork was such a staple in the Chinese diet and that there were so many pigs in the country- 433 million wow! I wonder what the government or food industry will do next in order to save the remaining pigs and prevent a further spread of this disease. It is also very important that this virus does not spread to people.
This was a really great article by Michael. I’ve never heard about this disease before I read this article so it was really interesting. Who knew a disease from Africa could spread and be so harmful to a country so far away? It’s sad to see that this disease is threatening a huge country with 433 million pigs, and the number of infected pigs are just going to keep spreading. Since pigs are extremely important to China, it’s going to be very detrimental if too many pigs get this disease. However, we should be grateful that this disease does not hurt people directly. I hope a cure is found soon!
Marvelous Michael. This is truly a concerning situation happening in China. Obviously, there are other protein sources other than pork, but pork is a large staple meat in Northern China. Hopefully, the African Swine Flu doesn’t become a global epidemic. However, it is relieving to hear that the Chinese government is taking preventive measurements against the disease. I don’t think the pig population will be too poorly affected by the flue, but hopefully the viurs can be contained and a possible vaccine/cure is found.
Even though, African Swine Fever virus is not susceptible to humans, this virus can cause high mortality in pigs. Hope, regions with infected African Swine Fever virus can quickly eradicate. This virus outbreak devastated many pig lives. Recently, Chinese government has cracked down on the transport of pigs to prevent the spread of the disease to other provinces. Another alternative to prevent the spread of this virus is a vaccine to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever. I like hope to see more informative articles like this one. Hope Trump can build walls around Inner Mongolia region. This helps to reduce the transport of pigs from infected regions.
Michael, what an intriguing article. I think to myself now, how this epidemic could impact such a society reliant on pig and its byproducts. Whether for food, or for other resources, this animal is held in an extremely high regard in Chinese society. Even though this epidemic could affect the entire Chinese population, we should make light of the current situation and address the problem we are facing. While the pigs are being infected with this epidemic, the Chinese people could use some sort of alternative or substitute to pork in the meantime. In addition, through other biologic processes, the next generation of pigs would be able to be immune to this disease to an extent. Excellent work.
Oh no! What a very shocking and tragic news to hear! I didn’t know that the pigs in China are getting sick and suffering from this virus 🙁 I am thankful that this virus doesn’t affect human health but at the same time I feel so bad for the pigs. I can’t imagine what people in China would do about this epidemic especially since a majority of the dishes contain pork. I hope they find a cure soon so the pig’s could stay healthy! Thank you for writing such an informative article, Micheal!
Wow!!! Those poor piggies are suffering from this horrible virus, and China is losing a high amount of money due to the fact that it is a 128 billion industry. I wonder how people in China would do about this since a lot of things I eat contain pork in them. I could only imagine how big this could affect the whole china population because my life would be completely changed without pork. I hope they find a cure soon so then everyone could be happy (pigs, China citizens, African citizens). Interesting article that had to be written Micheal, keep up the good work.
Great article, Michael! It’s very sad to see this issue plaguing the Chinese pork industry. This outbreak affects all facets of Chinese life. From a cultural standpoint, this epidemic is a tragedy, but it’s really taking a toll on the livestock economy as well. This could be very detrimental to China if it’s not handled properly and it’s great that you are bringing this issue to light. Hopefully, this problem will be sorted out soon and the pigs can get back to being healthy! Keep up the great work!
This article is very interesting. I did not know that this disease only affects pigs and not human beings. I am still curious to find out why this is. This outbreak I foresee will affect China’s economy on a large scale and will increase the rarity of pork definitely. I am surprised to learn that China gets some of their pork from Russia because it’s 15% cheaper than if you buy from China. This could have also been the cause of the outbreak. I did not expect the disease to be this contagious. I feel really bad for the pigs because most of them have probably died from the disease already. I hope China or another country eventually does research to find a cure for this disease that is effective and not too costly. Very informative and interesting article.
This seems to be a very serious epidemic. If it spreads further than who knows what will happen. I know that I wouldn’t be happy if there was no pork in my country. We eat so much of it to think that if such a disease spreads than prices will rise and there can be very little pork. Hopefully this gets put to bed quickly so there aren’t any major lasting effects.
Wow! I didn’t know such a big epidemic is widespread throughout China right now. The spread of the swine fever looks pretty dangerous, maybe even going worldwide. The industry is looking bad as well, prices have increased by so much. I hope it doesn’t affect us and I hope a solution will be reached soon. I know I can’t live without pork.
What another great article! Even though I knew about diseases that affect animals, I didn’t know that another disease appeared. It’s very interesting to learn about how this disease has already affected the Chinese Pork Industry so much. It’s a good thing that the disease doesn’t affect humans, otherwise a majority of the population in not only China would be infected already. Hopefully China and possibly other countries will be able to make a vaccine to save the pork!
Interesting article Michael! I never knew that the current pig population is facing a devastating epidemic. I hope they are close to finding a cure for the African Swine Fever. Being Chinese myself, I know that pork is one of the main components in Chinese cuisine. I couldn’t believe that the Chinese pork industry is worth $128 billion! Furthermore, I didn’t know that China alone had a pig population of 433 million. If the price of pork has already increased by 6.4% due to this infection, this issue needs to be quickly addressed or else it would surge hight. I also agree that even if this disease only affects pigs, the economic effects this disease must be paid attention to.
Wow what a great and interesting article. I never even heard of this epidemic occurring in china. To think that a lot of the pigs are dying is really bad. Although what is scary is that we could eat the pigs and thus have the strain in our system. This was a great article and was also really interesting. I hope you continue to keep writing like this.
Before I read this article, I had absolutely no idea any of this was happening. These are some pretty tragic events to the pork industry. Yet I was not surprised that the future of the pork industry would have been effected by this disease. I was also surprised how quick the disease spread form Africa to Asia. I hope things get better in the future.
Great Article Michael! Who knew that the pig population was in such danger. I have heard of the African Swine Fever before, but I never thought something like this could happen. I never knew that China had a pig population of 433 million! I really hope they find a solution to this problem.
Thank you for this informative and interesting article. Pigs are a big part of not just Chinese culture and food, but also a big part of their economy, so for this disease to be occurring right now would pose some negative results in the stock market for many who are invested in the pork industry. This really shows how one small thing such as a supposed “pig-smuggling operation” can lead to a whole crisis that affects the world due to the interconnected was of countries with China being a large source of many products and goods. People in China might have to resort to eating alternatives for pork during the upcoming holidays till this pig disease ordeal is over. It’s good that the government is taking actions into their hands and trying to prevent more infection, but they should start looking into preventing illegal smuggling operations like the ones that could have been responsible for this mess in order to prevent another crisis like this from happening again with possibly more dire consequences.
wow, this article is so interesting! It really reminds me of the swine flu outbreak we had here a few years ago. It really sucks that this swine fever is probably going to affect the 433 million pigs that live in china. The economy will be greatly impacted. However, maybe it’s a sign that we should become vegan!
It’s amazing how impactful pigs can be towards a big nation like China. Hopefully we are able to find a vaccine for this swine flu to prevent any long-term effects in the economy and industry. It is also surprising how much the swine flu can spread around a region within days. We should, though, make sure that this effect in pigs does not end up in our system too. However, I believe whatever the Chinese government is trying to do to prevent this epidemic will ultimately work in the end.
wow i never thought that china would have the largest and still growing pig industry! but i think it is devastating that disease spreads around the country due to no vaccines for the animal and the disease it can carry. Hopefully they can completely eradicate this epidemic and save the innocent people as well as the pigs.
Nice article!I never knew that China has such a large population of pigs and a pork industry that is valued at 128 billion dollars! Even though pigs are such simple animals I never knew the impact it had on China was so great.Stocks could fall and pork shortages can lead to its price sky rocketing. In addition there is still no vaccine to cure this so pigs could keep on dying and this epidemic could get even worse.
Wow! I never knew that there was an epidemic in China until today! It’s a good thing that the government is cracking down on stopping people from feeding pigs table scraps. 433 million pigs are a lot, and it’s unbelievable that almost all of them will be infected. I hope they find a vaccine soon.
Wow, such a bummer. Pork is one of my favorite types of meat. Seeing this is absolutely devastating, especially to the large population of China. This is similar to the swine flu epidemic that we had in the United States a few years ago. Hopefully, in time, it all turns out well and people in China can enjoy their pork again! Not only will people be able to enjoy their pork, but the economy will also be able to bounce back from this minor setback!
This article really showed me a new perspective on China! I never knew how important pigs were to China so finding out was quite surprising. Diseases would be spreading since there are no vaccines for the pigs and since they are tightly packed the disease can spread very quickly. Hopefully they can find out a cure for the disease and get back to having pork again.
I have never heard of African Swine Fever and I am intrigued to learn more due to the effects of it on China. This affects China because many dishes have pork in it. I find it crazy that after the first knowledge of the disease, it has spread to seven provinces. This disease may spread out to the United States, so people who frequently eat pork should stop until they see if its ok to eat it. An interesting fact that I learned was that the Chinese pork industry is at $128 billion.