SEOUL: South Korea’s quarantine authorities are on high alert as three major livestock diseases – highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease – spread simultaneously across the country, raising concerns over supply disruptions and higher livestock prices.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on March 16 that all three diseases remain at the highest of four alert levels, with the government extending its special quarantine period by one month through the end of March.
All three illnesses are classified domestically as Type 1 livestock infectious diseases, the most severe category due to their rapid transmission and economic impact.
The World Organisation for Animal Health also lists them as Category A diseases, meaning that they spread quickly and can significantly disrupt international trade.
Simultaneous outbreaks of all three diseases had not been seen between 2019, when African swine fever was first confirmed in South Korea, and 2024.
However, they have now emerged together for the second consecutive year, raising concerns among veterinary experts.
Some experts said South Korea is currently the only Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development country experiencing concurrent outbreaks of the three diseases.
Government data shows the situation is worsening.
During the 2025-2026 winter season, HPAI was detected at 56 poultry farms, up from 32 cases in the 2022-2023 season, and 49 cases in the 2024-2025 season.
African swine fever has also spread rapidly, with 22 cases confirmed in just over two months – the highest level on record and nearly triple the annual average of 7.9 cases between 2019 and 2025.
The authorities have also confirmed three cases of foot-and-mouth disease so far in 2026.
The outbreaks are already affecting supply: More than 9.8 million laying hens were culled this winter, the highest level in five years.
The Korea Rural Economic Institute forecasts that daily egg production in March will fall 5.8 per cent from a year earlier.
Culling linked to African swine fever has also surged, surpassing 150,000 pigs – more than four times 2025’s 34,000.
The institute expects average wholesale pork prices to rise 3.3 per cent in 2026 as supply tightens. - The Korea Herald/ANN
