Seoul: South Korea's health authorities have escalated their response to African swine fever (ASF) by issuing a nationwide "red alert" following the report of the sixth ASF case this year. The latest outbreak has been detected in a pig farm located in Dangjin, South Chungcheong province.

According to Anadolu Agency, local officials from the Central Disaster Management Headquarters (CDMH) confirmed the new ASF case. In response, authorities have implemented the highest-level alert to prevent further spread of the disease. As part of containment efforts, 1,423 pigs from the affected farm and nearby facilities owned by the same operator have been culled.

To further curtail the outbreak, a 48-hour standstill order has been imposed on all pig farms, slaughterhouses, and related facilities across the nation. This measure aims to limit movement and reduce the risk of infection. An official from the Agriculture Ministry noted the gravity of the situation, highlighting that while previous cases were confined to the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, the latest incident in South Chungcheong Province poses a greater risk due to its significant swine farming capacity.

The official emphasized the ministry's commitment to deploying all available resources to prevent additional cases and contain the spread of ASF.

In a separate health concern, South Korea is experiencing one of its earliest flu waves in recent years, driven by a dominant H3N2 subvariant affecting schools. Reports indicate that flu infections are 14 times higher compared to the same period last year, with school-aged children and teenagers being most affected.

Anadolu Agency reports that health authorities attribute the rise in infections to the new A-type H3N2 influenza virus subclade K. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's data reveals that this subvariant accounted for 97.2% of all flu samples tested nationwide between November 1 and 8. Globally, this strain now represents over 72% of circulating H3N2 viruses.