Since the first case of African swine fever was reported in China in early August, more than 10 additional outbreaks have been reported. The disease is affecting six provinces, stretching more than 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) from Heilongjiang in the north to Zhejiang in the south. Now, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has convened a three-day meeting of experts and representatives from countries in the region. They plan to develop a regional response to best prevent the spread of the viral hemorrhagic fever, which is not harmful to humans, to China's neighbors. As of Sept. 5, nearly 40,000 pigs had been culled in an effort to contain the disease. Restrictions have also been placed on the movement of the animals, and pork production and live hog markets have been shut down in the affected provinces....
