Lifeboat Foundation

BEIJING — Chinese officials are scrambling to stop a deadly African swine fever outbreak with the potential to ravage the country’s pig population.

Since early August, the virus — which does not threaten humans — has spread to four provinces and has been detected in areas about 750 miles apart. The budding epidemic could endanger the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of hog farmers and jeopardize China’s enormous pork industry.

China has about 700 million pigs, half the world’s pig population. Pork is the country’s primary protein source.