01 Aug 2019 --- The UK government is ramping up its efforts to ensure the damaging animal disease African swine fever (ASF) is kept out of the country. The disease, which poses no threat to human health but is fatal for pigs, has already spread widely across Asia – including China and Vietnam – and parts of Central and Eastern Europe. Cases have also been reported throughout Sub Saharan Africa. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is launching a poster campaign warning holidaymakers of the risks around bringing contaminated pork products into Britain and is stepping up safeguards to protect the country’s pork and pig industries by targeting anyone who has the potential to introduce ASF to the UK.