20 localities hit by African swine fever after Lai Chau outbreak
The northern mountainous province of Lai Chau announced its first African swine fever (ASF) outbreak on March 19, raising the total number of disease-hit localities nationwide to 20.
Health workers sanitise the area around the house of Nguyen Van Can, the farmer involved in Lai Chau Province’s first reported African swine fever incident. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The northernmountainous province of Lai Chau announced its first African swine fever (ASF) outbreakon March 19, raising the total number of disease-hit localities nationwide to20.
Theprovince said it was culling 117 pigs found to be infected with the ASF virus, itsfirst outbreak since the disease flared up in the country in late February.
On March 18, Nguyen Van Can,a farmer in Dong Phong village, Tam Duong district, contacted the authoritiesto report his pigs were ill. Samples were sent to Hanoi for analysis and cameback positive for the disease that is bringing devastation to the country’s hogindustry.
A few days ago, infected herds were found in the central province of Thua Thien-Hueand the northern province of Bac Ninh.
According to the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development, nearly 35,000 pigs have been killed in an attempt tostop the devastating outbreak from reaching the southern farms that produce theindustry’s largest outputs.
Nguyen Van Long, head of the department’s epidemiology office, said on March 19that there was a very high risk the disease would continue to spread.
However, he urged consumers to remain calm as ASF does not transmit to or causeillnesses in humans.
“The culled figure accounts for only 0.1 percent of thecountry’s total pig population,” Long said. “All the pigs found to be infectedor suspected of being infected have been culled, ensuring the quality and foodsafety of the remaining population.”
The outbreaks have only occurred at small farms, with none boasting a herdlarger than 500 pigs, Long said. Larger, industrial-scale farms are strictlyfollowing biosecurity standards and remain safe from the outbreaks.
The agriculture ministry’s inspections of ASF-hit localities have identified anumber of reasons for the outbreaks, including pig breeders’ and traders’ rushto sell off ill pigs, the ASF virus’ resilience and low regard for hygiene andbiosecurity measures among the holders of small farmers. The ministry alsoattributed the outbreaks to lax adherence to hygiene and biosecurity by healthworkers tasked with culling the pigs, resulting in exposure to the virus.-VNA
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Health workers sanitise the area around the house of Nguyen Van Can, the farmer involved in Lai Chau Province’s first reported African swine fever incident. (Photo: VNA) 
