The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture has announced that pork processing plants will be subject to enhanced biosafety measures as cases of African swine fever continue in China and neighboring Vietnam.

Starting May 1, the Ministry of Agriculture of China will check for the presence of the African swine fever virus of processors processing raw pork. Processors should now be inspected and have certificates confirming that the purchased pig products, including imported meat, do not contain ASF virus.

The regional market surveillance departments organize pork sampling for virus testing. This week, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture confirmed the first cases of ASF in the northwestern China region of Xinjiang and new cases in the southwestern province of Yunnan.

The Xinjiang outbreak occurred on a farm with 200 live pigs in Urumqi, infecting and killing 15 animals.

An outbreak in Yunnan was discovered in a group of 10 pig farms in the city of Shangri-La with 301 pigs. A total of 105 animals died, according to a statement on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Village of China.