African swine fever outbreak in Thanh Chuong
African swine fever is spreading rapidly in Thanh Chuong district. Currently, 94 households in 37 villages and hamlets across 13 communes have reported the death and culling of 692 pigs, totaling over 33 tons in weight.
Thanh Phong - a "hotspot" for the epidemic.
In Thanh Phong commune, one of the current "hotspots" for African swine fever, dozens of pigs have been culled in less than a month, mainly in hamlets 5, 6, and 7.
Mr. Nguyen Duy Phu's family (Hamlet 5) lost their entire pig herd after the outbreak of the disease in early May. Leading us to the pig farm, we saw that all four pens were completely empty and had been covered in white lime powder.
Mr. Phu stated that on May 4th, two pigs died, and veterinary officers took samples for testing, which showed positive results for African swine fever. A few days later, both sows, each weighing around 200kg, and their piglets were also infected and had to be culled. After culling the pigs, the family sprayed chemicals and sprinkled lime powder to disinfect the inside and outside of the pig pens, as well as in front of the house. However, observations indicate that the disinfection and sterilization after culling were inadequate and did not comply with the recommendations of the relevant authorities.
Not only Mr. Phu's family, but many other households in Hamlet 5 such as Nguyen Van Thong, Nguyen Canh Ngu... and many households in Hamlets 6 and 7: Trinh Xuan Nhu, Vo Thi Lan... are also facing a similar situation.
According to recommendations from specialized agencies, after culling pigs infected with African swine fever, farmers need to clean and sanitize the pigpens thoroughly, then use lime water to whitewash the embankments, and sprinkle lime powder inside and outside the pigpens, combined with regular spraying of disinfectant chemicals to eliminate pathogens as quickly and effectively as possible.
Mr. Trinh Xuan Thi, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Phong commune, said: "In 2025, African swine fever has been occurring in the commune since the beginning of May. Worryingly, the disease is spreading rapidly; in less than a month, the number of infected pigs that had to be culled reached 88, with a total weight of over 3 tons. The outbreak mainly occurred in three hamlets: 5, 6, and 7."
"The reasons for the outbreak are the difficulty in controlling the transportation and trading of pigs in and out of the area; erratic weather; and the fact that people have not strictly complied with disease prevention and control regulations," said Mr. Trinh Xuan Thi, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Phong commune.
According to Mr. Nguyen Duy Que, a veterinary officer in Thanh Phong commune, the total pig population in Thanh Phong commune currently stands at 2,824, of which 452 are located in the affected area and 1,045 are in the threatened area.
"The weather is unpredictable, disinfection and sterilization are not carried out regularly, and small-scale livestock farming does not apply biosecurity measures… pathogens have already existed in the livestock environment and animals. Therefore, the likelihood of the disease spreading and breaking out on a large scale in the near future is very high," Mr. Nguyen Duy Que assessed.
Lack of decisive action in epidemic prevention and control.
Throughout Thanh Chuong district, many localities are still concealing outbreaks and not decisively handling them. According to a report from the Thanh Chuong District Department of Agriculture and Environment, from the beginning of the year to May 21, 2025, African swine fever has occurred in 94 households across 37 villages and hamlets in 13 communes, including: Ngoc Son, Kim Bang, Thanh Lien, Dung town, Thanh An, Dai Dong, Thanh Ha, Thanh Phong, Thanh Tien, Thanh Tung, Thanh Qua, Thanh Thuy, and Phong Thinh.
The number of dead pigs that were culled was 692, including 93 sows, 1 breeding boar, 397 market pigs, and 201 piglets. The total weight of the dead pigs that had to be culled was 33 tons. Some localities with high outbreaks include Dung town, Thanh Phong, Thanh Tung, and Thanh Lien…
According to Mr. Tran Phi Hung, Head of the District's Agriculture and Environment Department, the underlying cause is the large proportion of small-scale livestock farming, which does not ensure biosecurity. Some communes are also complacent and lack decisiveness in disseminating information and organizing disease prevention and control.
Thanh Chuong district is urging communes to closely monitor the disease situation, thoroughly handle old outbreaks, and strengthen propaganda about the dangers of African swine fever and effective prevention and control measures.
In early May, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van De chaired a meeting to implement solutions for preventing and controlling livestock and poultry diseases in the province. The meeting emphasized the prevention and control of African swine fever, which is developing complicatedly in many localities. Accordingly, localities must effectively implement disease prevention and control measures as prescribed, and must not be negligent or complacent.
