Lang Son: About the information about a herd of pigs dying en masse after "vomiting blood"
The information about the mass death of pigs in 3 districts in Lang Son province with horrifying symptoms: bruises all over the body, foaming at the mouth, vomiting blood and then rolling over dead was investigated by central and local authorities and concluded: Completely untrue.
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| Authorities take samples for testing of pigs in Van Quan district on November 9. Photo: Duy Chien |
Early in the afternoon of November 8, an online newspaper published information with pictures of purple dead pigs, making people miserable and in pain. The Department of Animal Health (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) immediately sent Document No. 2628/TY-DT dated November 8, 2018 to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Lang Son province to verify the unusual pig deaths in Lang Son.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has directed the Veterinary Department to coordinate with the People's Committees of Van Quan, Binh Gia, and Van Lang districts to conduct a review in the area and conduct a field inspection in Vinh Lai commune, Van Quan district (where pigs died as reported in an online newspaper).
Through a quick report from the District Agricultural Service Center (through a synthesis of reports from local veterinarians and direct inspections in some areas), it was confirmed that there was no mass pig death in the province, with unknown causes. There were only a few cases of pig deaths due to common septicemia, diarrhea, and E.Coli (local diseases).
Mr. Ly Viet Hung - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Lang Son province said: "The information on the online newspaper about the Thu Hien pig farm (actually Thu Hien Cooperative, Vinh Lai commune, Van Quan district) dying nearly 200 pigs for unknown reasons or diseases is arbitrary. Immediately after the incident, the Cooperative invited technicians from Thien Hop Feed Company to treat and diagnose the batch of pigs with blue ear, pneumonia, pleurisy and asthma. Due to lack of timely treatment, 200 pigs got sick and died. But the time of the epidemic as mentioned in the article happened... nearly 2 months ago".
According to Mr. Hung, on the afternoon of November 8, the Thu Hien Cooperative checked the pigsty and found 26 pigs (including 6 foreign sows and 20 commercial pigs), each weighing about 50kg. These pigs had been fully vaccinated by the Cooperative and were in normal condition (healthy pigs).
The inspection team took samples of pigs in Van Quan district and the results were negative for all samples.
Information about a strange disease that has caused the tragic death of many pigs in the border province of Lang Son, while African swine fever is developing complicatedly in China, has made central and local authorities worried and need to be clarified. On the morning of November 9, a working group of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development directly inspected the situation in Lang Son and confirmed that the information in an online newspaper was false.
