The World Animal Health Organization (OIE) on Wednesday April 3 announced the first recorded case of African swine fever (ASF) in Cambodia.

OIE has announced that the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has reported the first confirmed case of ASF in the country at a pig farm near the border with Vietnam.

The ministry said the virus was first detected on a pig farm in Ratanakiri province on March 22 and resulted in the death of 400 pigs, as well as the culling of another 100 pigs.

To prevent the virus from spreading to Taiwan, the Taiwan Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Bureau (BAPHIQ) announced the same day that if confirmed, travelers arriving from Cambodia for transporting pork products would face a fine of 6,489 US dollars.

Fen Hai-tung, Director General of Taiwan Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, said that if they are caught with pork products for the second time, they will be fined $ 678,965.6.

Feng Hai-tun urged passengers not to break the rules and cooperate to prevent the spread of the epidemic and protect pig breeding. Feng said official new fines for passengers arriving from Cambodia with pork in their luggage will take effect at 4 a.m. on April 4.