Warning of the risk of African swine fever spreading to Vietnam
(Baonghean.vn) - Up to now, 17 countries and territories have had African swine fever. In China alone, there have been 14 outbreaks and the epidemic is spreading southward to provinces near the Vietnamese border.
On the morning of September 14, under the chairmanship of comrades: Trinh Dinh Dung - Deputy Prime Minister; Nguyen Xuan Cuong - Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held an online conference to deploy the work of preventing animal diseases in the autumn and winter and preventing African swine fever from entering Vietnam.
At Nghe An bridge, comrade Dinh Viet Hong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee chaired.
In the first 8 months of 2018, nationwide, there were 4 outbreaks of avian influenza caused by the A/H5N6 virus in Hai Phong City and Nghe An, with over 13,000 poultry infected and destroyed; 9 outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease; 1 outbreak of blue ear disease, with over 600 pigs infected.
In Nghe An alone, there is currently an outbreak of bird flu in Quynh Luu district and an outbreak of septicemia in buffaloes and cows in Tuong Duong and Con Cuong districts that has not passed 21 days. The total number of culled poultry is 390; 79 buffaloes and cows have died from illness.
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| Comrade Dinh Viet Hong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee chaired at Nghe An bridgehead. Photo: Phu Huong |
Up to this point, 17 countries and territories have had African swine fever, with nearly 230,000 pigs infected; the total pig herd at risk of being destroyed is over 352,000. In China alone, there have been 14 outbreaks and the epidemic is spreading south to provinces near the Vietnamese border.
This is an infectious disease caused by a virus, and can cause death in pigs at a very high rate compared to other diseases such as foot and mouth disease, classical swine fever. Particularly dangerous is that there is currently no vaccine or medicine to treat African swine fever.
To deal with this dangerous epidemic, the Prime Minister has issued a telegram on implementing measures to prevent African swine fever from entering Vietnam. The Department of Animal Health has worked with the Head of the FAO Rome Veterinary Office and requested support for Vietnam in providing emergency technical support, diagnosis, testing and disease investigation... to help Vietnam proactively prevent and respond to African swine fever.
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| Traders buying pigs in Nghe An. Photo archive. |
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung requested ministries, branches, localities and units to continue to take measures to control and prevent dangerous diseases in livestock from occurring and spreading widely. Focus on, proactively and regularly monitor and inspect to detect early, thereby having timely and effective solutions, helping livestock farming develop sustainably and safely.
Regarding African swine fever, the Deputy Prime Minister requested that, in the absence of a vaccine, ministries and localities must really get involved and strictly direct the implementation of biosafety measures in livestock farming; regularly organize sanitation and disinfection at livestock farms and means of transport... Strengthen clinical monitoring and supervision of pig herds; supervise compliance with regulations on management of transportation, quarantine of pigs and pig products. Strengthen the capacity of veterinary agencies at all levels to diagnose, test, investigate and respond to epidemics.
In particular, it is necessary to closely coordinate with international organizations to promptly grasp information on the epidemic situation, promptly deploy effective response measures, and prevent this dangerous epidemic from arising and spreading widely.
