Complacency in the prevention and control of African swine fever in Vinh City.
(Baonghean.vn) - African swine fever has re-emerged in Vinh City and is developing in a very complex manner. However, in Nghi Kim commune, one of the most severely affected areas in the city, disease prevention and control efforts are being neglected.
Nghi Kim commune is one of the localities with the most complex African swine fever outbreaks in Vinh City. On September 15th, the commune carried out the culling of pigs belonging to two households, Bui Xuan Hoang (Hamlet 1) and Nguyen Thi Cuong (Hamlet 4), totaling 6 pigs with a total weight of 634 kg. This marks the return of the disease, despite the commune having previously declared it eradicated.
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| The quarantine checkpoint in Nghi Kim commune was rudimentary and lacked personnel on duty on the morning of September 16th. Photo: AQ |
On September 16th, our reporter was present in the area and observed numerous "loopholes" in the local epidemic control efforts. The most obvious was the lack of personnel stationed at checkpoints at the beginning of Nghi Kim commune, connecting to National Highway 1A. Items such as lime powder, chemicals, and straw were only scattered haphazardly, merely as a formality.
On September 16th, Nghi Kim commune carried out the destruction of over 5 tons of pork, a "huge" amount in Vinh City. Despite this, the workers destroying the pigs did not wear protective gear as required; some even wore civilian clothes while handling the pigs. Only when a reporter arrived at the scene did commune officials remind the workers to wear "convenient raincoats" while disposing of the pigs.
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| The workers disposing of the pigs in Nghi Kim commune wore no protective gear, only convenient raincoats and civilian clothes. Photo: AQ |
Despite the complicated situation of African swine fever in the commune, with the number of infected pigs trending upwards, the trade of pork and pork products in Nghi Kim commune is still not being strictly controlled.
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| People selling pork in Nghi Kim commune on September 16th. Photo: AQ |
It is evident that disease control efforts in Nghi Kim commune remain complacent, negligent, and superficial, lacking decisive leadership from the local authorities. As a result, the disease is spreading widely in the area. In just two days since the outbreak, Nghi Kim has had to cull nearly 6 tons of pigs, making it one of the localities with the largest number of pigs culled in Vinh City.
Currently, African swine fever has re-emerged and is spreading rapidly throughout the city. Meanwhile, proactive measures in disease prevention and control in some localities are still lacking. In the case of Nghi Kim commune, we have issued a warning and will report to the city authorities to handle any groups or individuals who are still negligent or careless in disease prevention and control.
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| Localities in Vinh City are currently experiencing outbreaks. |
As of September 16th, African swine fever has occurred in 7 wards and communes in Vinh City: Vinh Tan, Hung Dong, Nghi Kim, Nghi Lien, Cua Nam, Hung Chinh, and Dong Vinh, affecting 76 households with infected pigs, totaling over 30 tons of meat destroyed. Currently, the disease is developing complicatedly in Nghi Kim, Hung Dong, Hung Chinh, etc.
