ASF Vietnam: 79 cases reported; stepping up measures

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) reported that since the 1^st outbreaks were reported in February, in total now 6,670 pigs in 10 provinces have been killed or culled to avoid further spread. That all happened at village community level, no professional farms so far have reported ASF. Some communities report having lost 1 pig only – and in one case 1,671 pigs had to be culled. On average, communities like these have reported having lost 85 pigs.

ASF at 50 km from Laos border

What is remarkable about this update is the outbreak of ASF in a community in Dien Bien province, which is bordering Laos on the west side. This for now seemingly isolated outbreak was reported in the village Rang Dong at about 50 km from the border with Laos. The village lost 15 pigs to the virus.

The province that was hit hardest in Vietnam so far is Thai Binh, having reported 38 outbreaks. Also the provinces Hai Phong and Hung Yen have reported the virus, and all are in the vicinity of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.

Drastic measures required to fight ASF

In the meantime, Vietnam’s prime minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has called for ‘drastic measures’ to fight the spread of ASF.

“We should combat the epidemic as if we are fighting against the enemy,” Mr Phuc said, according to press agency Reuters. He called for ‘drastic measures’ from the ‘whole political system’ to fight the disease.

What 1 pig can tell about ASF in China

ASF China: New outbreak in Guangxi province

After a week of silence, the Chinese agricultural ministry (MARA) also reported a new outbreak of African Swine Fever – this time in the south of China, in Guangxi province. On a farm with almost 3,200 pigs, the virus was discovered in 24 animals of which 20 had died. It is the 2^nd reported outbreak in Guangxi, after an earlier report on 19 February.