CANBERRA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Australia's chief vet has warned of an impending outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF).
Mark Schipp, Australia's Chief Veterinary Officer, said in a speech that he expects several countries to confirm cases of ASF in the coming days.
It has already been found in China, Vietnam, Myanmar and so on.
"We're expecting a number of countries to announce they've got ASF in the coming days, and we've already taken steps in preparation for that," Schipp said, according to the report of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Monday.
ASF is a severe viral disease affecting domestic pigs and boars, which can be spread by live or dead pigs and pork products.
The ASF virus is harmless to humans, but causes hemorrhagic fever in pigs and wild boars that is almost fatal, according to the World Organization for Animal Health.
If it reaches Australia, industry experts predict ASF could cost the nation's economy 50 billion Australian dollars (34.2 billion U.S. dollars).
