Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong chaired a meeting in Hanoi on March 14 to discuss solutions to curb and prevent further outbreaks of the African swine fever (ASF), which is developing and likely to spread wildly.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong
He suggested focusing on the prevention of the disease in small-scale households, cleaning the breeding facilities, and strictly managing the transport of pigs.
ASF has occurred in 17 cities and provinces in the north and so if not controlled well, it could spread to the south and become more dangerous as the region is home to key livestock localities such as Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City.
Therefore, it is necessary to strictly control the transport of pigs on roads to the south, the minister stressed.
He also suggested implementing policies to support the destruction of infected pigs while raising public awareness of the issue.
Representatives from localities asked for material and chemical support to implement disinfection and sterilisation.
Director of the Department of Animal Health Pham Van Dong said as of March 14, the ASF was reported in 221 communes in 52 districts of 17 cities and provinces.
The total count of culled pigs was 23,422, he said, adding that most of the ASF outbreaks were found at small-scale households.
The ASF 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 being 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.
On the same day, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh had a meeting with the Market Surveillance Agency and relevant agencies under the ministry to discuss measures to minimise impacts of the disease on the market.
VNA
