Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Wednesday instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), relevant agencies and localities to take prompt measures to control African swine fever (ASF) in Viet Nam.

Inspectors cull illegally imported pigs to prevent the spread of African swine fever. — Photo laodong.vn

PM Phúc ordered chairmen of provincial and municipal people’s committees to issue instructions and treat all the affected areas completely to prevent new cases. Steering committees must be founded with detailed duties for every member to improve inspections and supervision.

The steering committees must keep a close watch on border gates and slaughterhouses, and educate local people on preventive measures.

PM Phúc asked MARD to co-ordinate with concerned organisations to supervise the epidemic, especially in neighbouring countries, to provide proper treatments. The ministry is responsible for connecting with relevant international organisations and foreign countries to carry out joint measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

The National Steering Committee Against Smuggling, Trade Frauds and Counterfeiting Goods (often called National Steering Committee 389) must issue strict fines to anyone who illegally transports sick pigs from other countries into Việt Nam.

The ministries of transport, defence, industry and trade and information and communications must join work together on preventive measures and educating local residents.

Cases of ASF have occurred in 20 countries and more than 1.08 million pigs have been culled to prevent its spread, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

From August 3, 2018 to February 17 this year, more than 100 outbreaks occurred in 25 provinces and cities in China, including Yunnan and Guangdong provinces near Việt Nam’s border, according to OIE. More than 950,000 pigs were culled.

In Việt Nam, AFS was discovered in the northern provinces of Hưng Yên and Thái Bình.

To prevent the disease from spreading, the Department of Animal Health on Thursday assigned eight laboratories across the country to administer free-of-charge gene tests for ASF.

Phạm Văn Đông, director of the department, said the quick and exact gene tests were an effective step in preventing and controlling the disease, as well as limited economic losses and environmental impacts. 

Residents cull hundreds of pigs infected by African swine disease

Residents across the northern province of Hung Yen have been forced to cull a number of their pigs, with much of their livestock having contracted African Swine Fever (ASF).

The ASF virus had been discovered in Hung Yen’s Trung Nghia commune, in Hung Yen city, and Yen Hoa commune in Yen My district on February 13. Households throughout the region have reported the incidents to local authorities in a timely manner, helping to map out measures to deal with the epidemic.

The Department of Animal Health at the central and grassroots levels had taken 29 samples from farms in the area for testing and reported back that 12 of the samples contained ASF.

A local family in Khoa Nhu hamlet was forced to cull 120 pigs whilst a ban on the transport of poultry and cattle in the infected areas has been enforced, along with all vehicles travelling in the region having to be disinfected and sterilised. 

Le Van Duyet, chairman of Yen Hoa commune’s People’s Committee, said apart from instructing residents to disinfect the contaminated farms and cull infected pigs, all trading and slaughtering activities have been prohibited.

Yen Hoa commune now has nearly 4,000 cattle and the ASF infected pigs have been completely culled in order to stamp out the epidemic.

Outbreaks of ASF have also been detected in Dong Do commune, Dong Hung district, in Thai Binh province.

Pham Van Dong, head of the Department of Animal Health, said the ASF epidemic has not spread to humans, therefore residents need not worry too much when eating pork.

He also requested media agencies to prudently release information to ensure that efficient prevention work and production was maintained.

VNS/VOV