South Korea reported a new suspected African swine fever case on Wednesday, adding to concerns over the potential spread of the deadly animal disease despite massive disinfection efforts.

The suspected case was reported at a farm on Ganghwa Island in Incheon, around 60 kilometers west of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The ministry confirmed the fifth ASF case from the same location a day earlier.

If confirmed, it would mark the sixth ASF case confirmed in the country in around a week.

South Korea reported its first-ever confirmed ASF case on Sept. 17, also near the heavily fortified border with North Korea. So far, all five cases came from northern areas of Gyeonggi Province and Incheon.

Although ASF does not affect people, it is fatal for pigs, with no cure currently available.

The agriculture ministry has been going all-out to stem the further spread of the highly contagious virus with quarantine operations in place for all parts of Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, along with the neighboring Gangwon Province.

On Tuesday, the quarantine authorities initiated a 48-hour movement ban on all pig farms and feed factories across the country. (Yonhap)