Localities throughout the country have quickly taken measures to prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks.

The ASF virus does not affect humans but causes haemorrhagic fever in pigs and wild boars that is almost always fatal.

On March 9, right after discovering the first ASF case in Yen Duc commune, Dong Trieu township, the northern province of Quang Ninh zoned off the area and destroyed all infected pigs. 

Meanwhile, the northern province of Hung Yen is mobilising all resources to curb the disease, which is developing complicatedly and spreading rapidly in Yen My, My Hao, Van Giang, An Thi, and Kim Dong districts and Hung Yen city.

As of March 9, 11 communes of these localities announced ASF outbreaks, said Nguyen Quang Tuan, head of the provincial veterinary sub-department, adding that the province destroyed over 2,800 pigs raised by more than 90 households. 

It supported farmers to sterilize their breeding facilities and set up quarantine stations on main roads adjacent to the provinces of Ha Nam, Thai Binh, Hai Duong and Hanoi, while strictly controlling pig slaughterhouses. 

Authorities in Tuan Giao district in the northwestern province of Dien Bien have quickly set up a steering committee to direct the prevention of the disease at the district and communal levels after an ASF outbreak was discovered in the district from March 4 with seven pig destroyed.  

The ASF virus does not affect humans but causes haemorrhagic fever in pigs and wild boars that is almost always fatal. There is currently no antidote or vaccine, with 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.-VNA