- Hundreds of African Swine Fever outbreaks have been reported in Vietnam’s central localities in the past few weeks, forcing authorities to take drastic action to prevent the disease from further spreading
- There are very high risks that the ASF will occur and further spread in the remaining months of this year, said the Department of Animal Health
- By the end of October, over 1,900 ASF outbreaks were confirmed across 57 localities nationwide, leading to the culling of nearly 160,000 pigs, or 0.6% of the country’s total herd
Hundreds of African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks have been reported in Vietnam’s central localities in the past few weeks, forcing authorities to take drastic action to prevent the disease from further spreading.
In central Thanh Hoa province, the disease has hit 42 communes of 10 districts and towns this year. Nearly 2,200 pigs, weighing over 150 tons, were culled, provincial media Thanh Hoa Radio and Television reported on November 9.
Meanwhile, authorities of central Quang Binh province said on November 8 that so far, 41 communes of eight districts and towns have been affected by the swine fever, with nearly 2,100 pigs weighing roughly 121 tons culled, reported Xinhua News.
Several localities in central Vietnam, including Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Nam and Quang Tri provinces, have announced hundreds of swine fever outbreaks, noting that the situation has been more complicated since September. Measures are being taken to encircle, control and extinguish the outbreaks.
There are very high risks that the swine fever will occur and further spread in the remaining months of this year, said the Department of Animal Health under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
Changing weather, increase in slaughtering, continuing transportation and trading of pigs, and fewer resources available to counter the swine fever due to COVID-19 were among the main reasons for the outbreaks, according to the department.
By the end of October, over 1,900 African swine fever outbreaks were confirmed across 57 localities nationwide, leading to the culling of nearly 160,000 pigs, or 0.6% of the country’s total herd, local media cited the department as reporting.
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization in a situation update last October 28 said that since MARD confirmed the country’s first ASF outbreak on February 19, 2019, all 63 provinces and cities have experienced outbreaks. From January to October 2021, more than 100,000 pigs were destroyed due to ASF, more than double the figure in 2020 year-over-year, according to media, quoting the Head of the Department of Animal Health.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a report last May that in 2020, the ASF epidemic in Vietnam caused a loss of about 86,000 pigs, equivalent to 1.5% of the culled pigs in 2019.
Photo by Rictor Norton & David Allen
