The UK’s pig farmers are bracing themselves against a possible outbreak of African swine fever, a devastating viral disease that can wipe out whole herds.

The highly contagious disease cannot be caught by humans but can be carried in contaminated meat, such as pork chops, for as long as three months even if frozen.

The disease is fatal to pigs and has already led to the slaughter of more than 800,000 pigs worldwide.

The latest information from the World Organisation for Animal Health shows that there are currently 87 outbreaks ongoing in eight countries around the world. The highest number of cases over the last three years have been in Eastern Europe, although officials in China are worried about several outbreaks of the disease.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has assessed the risk of the virus spreading to the UK as "moderate" and has increased surveillance and advised farmers on how to protect against it.

UK pig farmers are “exceptionally worried” about the ongoing outbreak in Belgium, first reported in September, said Dr Zoe Davies, chief executive of the National Pig Association.

“The virus makes very big jumps. The jump from Eastern Europe to Belgium a couple of months ago was a very worrying development,” she said.