African swine fever (ASF) has continued spreading its wings to Vietnam, affecting the northern city of Haiphong, making it the country’s third locality hit by the epidemic.

The outbreak was detected at a pig farm in Chinh My Commune, Thuy Nguyen District. Two of five samples taken from the dead pigs were tested positive for ASF.  

Local authorities have sterilised the area and buried the dead pigs.

More pig samples from the neighbouring areas of the affected farm will be tested in the coming days.

The Haiphong Department of Agriculture and Rural Development have asked for permission from the municipal people’s committee to allocate its budget for the fight against the disease.

The ASF virus previously was detected in the northern provinces of Hung Yen and Thai Binh.

Hanoi People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung has urged local localities to carefully tighten control over the disinfection in vulnerable areas to prevent the disease.

Chung also instructed to raise people’s awareness of the epidemic prevention. He noted that leaders of localities will have to take responsibility for the African swine fever outbreak.

Animal quarantine stations on the route to the city have been asked to operate around-the-clock. Meanwhile, tighter controls will be used for the slaughtering, transportation and trading of pig products.

Lao Dong/Dtinews