African swine fever virus was detected in the luggage of a traveller from China at a Hokkaido airport on Oct 22, Japan’s farm ministry said.

Sausages in the passenger’s luggage at New Chitose Airport tested positive for the disease, and it is the first case of the virus being brought to the country from overseas. No domestic infections of African swine fever virus have been reported so far.

Last month, hog cholera infection was confirmed among domestic pigs in Japan for the first time in 26 years, in the central Japanese city of Gifu.

Source: The Mainichi