Six weeks after African swine fever emerged in China, scientists are racing to pinpoint how the deadly pig virus entered the world’s biggest pork market and spread between farms hundreds of miles apart.
Finding answers is critical for stopping the further international spread of what Russian researchers consider the most dangerous swine disease. The virus has been reported in seven Chinese provinces since Aug. 1, causing the deaths of about 40,000 pigs and threatening major disruption of a $128 billion industry. It’s also widened its grip on Europe, with the first cases in Belgium reported Sept. 13.
