The pig market in the Philippines , the 10th - largest in the world , is losing nearly $ 20 m a month from the African swine fever outbreak , according to agricultural experts . Though not harmful to humans , the highly contagious disease is fatal for pigs . The virus is spreading rapidly around the country and has led to the death of more than 500 pigs through illness or culling , and has been detected in some processed pork products . The spread of the disease has pushed up the price of products such as pork , and the Philippine central bank has warned of the possibility of higher inflation .
The pig market in the Philippines, the 10th-largest in the world, is losing nearly $20m a month from the African swine fever outbreak, according to agricultural officials. Though not harmful to humans, the highly contagious disease is fatal for pigs. The virus is spreading rapidly around the Philippines and has led to the death of more than 60,000 pigs through illness or culling, and has been detected in some processed pork products. The spread of the disease has pushed up the price of meats such as chicken, and the Philippine central bank has warned of the risk of higher inflation.