A plague identified in 50 countries threatens a quarter of the pig population on the planet 2019

The disease is known as African swine fever (APP)

The World Organisation for Animal Health has indicated that a quarter of the world's pig population is expected to die as a result of a new epidemic, the Guardian newspaper has reported.

The disease, known as African swine fever (APP), has already claimed the lives of more than 100 million pigs and has increased global meat prices for this animal due to growing demand from China.

The deaths of the specimens have been recorded since last year.

"African swine fever is a highly contagious haemorrhagic disease that affects domestic pigs, warty boars, European wild boars and American wild boars," said the World Organization for Animal Health, "with forms of the virus of high virulence, African swine fever is characterized by high fever, loss of appetite, bleeding of the skin and internal organs, and death between 2 and 10 days later on average."

In recent months, China has approved imports of pork from foreign plants and signed agreements around the world at a breakneck pace.

Sales of pork from the United States to China have doubled, while European pork prices have reached one of the highest levels in the past six years.

Mark Schipp, vice president of the World Organization for Animal Health, has noted that the spread of the disease in recent months in countries such as China, which is home to half of the world's animal population, has exacerbated the global crisis.

Veterinary scientists around the world have been looking for a vaccine against African swine flu, but the virus represents a "complex challenge," Schipp added.

Although the disease is not transmitted to humans, it is 100% fatal once it reaches a pig population.

Infection in pigs is usually caused by direct contact with infected pigs and wild boars or by ingestion of remains of infected pork or unprocessed infected porcine meat products.

Some transformation processes do not destroy the virus, which can also be transmitted to sensitive animals by the bite of flies and ticks, or through contaminated premises, vehicles, equipment or clothing.

The virus can also survive several months in processed meat and several years in frozen channels, so meat products are a particular concern for cross-border transmission. In July, meat containing the PPA virus was found in products seized by the Northern Ireland port authorities, the newspaper reported.

China could lose between 20% and 70% of its herd, potentially up to 350 million pigs, a quarter of the world's total, said Rabobank, a financial services company that specializes in food and agriculture.

Official figures indicate that more than one million pigs have been slaughtered in the Asian country.

The virus has now been identified in 50 countries, including Poland, Russia, South Korea and the Philippines. So far, the westernmost end of the disease is found in Belgium among the wild boar population, so the authorities plan to sacrifice them.