© Reuters / Hallie GuWorkers in protective suits are seen at a checkpoint near a farm where African swine fever was detected in Hebei province, China on February 26, 2019.
African swine fever has spread all across China's mainland, threatening the country's entire sprawling hog industry and the global supply of pork.
The epidemic broke out nine months ago but still appears to be uncontained.It has now reached China's southernmost province of Hainan - which had thus far been spared from swine fever. Over 140 pigs have already died from the disease at six farms in the province, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Sunday.
The outbreak of the virus began last August and has now spread to all 31 provinces of mainland China,
with more than 100 cases reported over the past few months across the country. The virus is highly contagious and deadly for pigs, it causes high fever, massive hemorrhaging in internal organs and, ultimately, death. While, fortunately, the
African swine fever does not affect humans as such, it has heavily affected the massive pork industry of the country.
Comment: While it is true that, for some areas, this winter has been unusually warm and dry, other areas have seen a continuation of the record breaking cold. Because, overall, our planet is seeing serious cooling and these anomalous and extreme weather patterns are congruent with those that occurred during the last little ice age, and do not correlate with any global warming 'models'. Lest we forget that it was only last year that the UK was being battered with bitter cold by the 'beast from the east':