Piglets are held in pens at a modern pig farm in Beijing's Fangshan district, April 30, 2018. (PHOTO / IC)

HONG KONG – Over 5,000 pigs were culled in a Yuen Long pig farm after the African swine fever virus was detected there, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said Tuesday.

The AFCD said in a statement that it finished on Tuesday the disposal operation that culled 5,624 pigs at a licensed farm in Lau Fau Shan, where some pig samples had previously tested positive for the virus.

The spokesman stressed that the ASF virus does not infect humans and is not a food safety risk. The incident also did not affect the operation of local slaughterhouses and the city’s overall supply of live pigs

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"According to the contingency plan on ASF, the AFCD has sent staff to dispose of and handle a total of 5,624 pigs on the licensed farm in Lau Fau Shan, Yuen Long, since November 9,” an AFCD spokesman was quoted as saying in the statement.

“The operation was completed today. All pigs disposed of and handled were sent to the West New Territories Landfill for dumping according to established procedures," he added.

The spokesman stressed that the ASF virus does not infect humans and is not a food safety risk. The incident also did not affect the operation of local slaughterhouses and the city’s overall supply of live pigs.

The AFCD said it will continue to investigate and trace the source of the ASF virus with the help of international experts, while keeping local pig farms under close surveillance.

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It also reminded all farmers to alert the department immediately if any abnormal health condition is observed in pigs.