Director of the Department of Animal Health Pham Van Dong (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has detected African
swine fever (ASF) outbreaks in the northern provinces of Thai Binh and Hung
Yen, unveiled Director of the Department of Animal Health Pham Van Dong on
February 19.
Accordingly, the AFS virus was discovered in Hung Yen’s
Trung Nghia commune ( city) and Yen Hoa commune (Yen My district), with
the results of samples taken from other farms surrounding the outbreak spots still
pending.
Meanwhile, in , a number of household-based pig
farms in Hung Ha district’s Dong Do commune were also found to be contaminated
with the disease. The results of samples taken from nearby farms were negative.
Dong said in response to the detection, the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has directed the culling of all
infected pigs and the crucial conduction of a cleaning process in the hotspots
and high-risk locations. The transport, slaughtering, and distribution of pork
from the AFS-hit areas are under tight monitoring by competent agencies, while
mass examinations of all pig farms in these communes will be launched.
The official advised farmers to stay calm and promptly
inform the local animal health management units if they notice an outbreak,
rather than trying to sell their infected pigs which could have widespread
effects across the country.
The ASF virus does not affect humans but does cause
haemorrhagic fever in pigs and wild boars that is almost always fatal. There is
no antidote or vaccine, and the only known preventative measure is a mass cull
of infected livestock. The disease spreads by contact between infected pigs or
other wild animals and can inflict massive economic damage on farms.
According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE),
between 2017 and February 18, 2019, 20 countries and regions have suffered from
the ASF, with over 1.08 million pigs culled. A total of 105 outbreaks were
discovered in China from August 3, 2018 to February 18, 2019, resulting in the
termination of 950,000 pigs, while one dead pig was found to be positive with
the ASF virus in Taiwan on January 17, 2019.
Given the complexity of ASF outbreaks in China, which borders
many northern localities of Vietnam, the MARD had recently announced that the
disease is at high risk of entering the country. –VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
