Pigs floating in a destruction pit in the epidemic area of ​​Nam Dan district

Although the Nam Anh commune epidemic control checkpoint has people on duty during office hours, it has no equipment to serve epidemic prevention work. Photo: PV

At noon on October 9, Nghe An Newspaper reporters were present at an African swine fever control checkpoint in Nam Anh commune, Nam Dan district. There was absolutely no one on duty. By 2 pm, only 2 people had arrived to work at this checkpoint, but at this checkpoint there were "3 nos": no lime powder, no chemicals and no sprayers. That shows that vehicles passing by, especially vehicles transporting animals, are not allowed to spray chemicals.

Mr. Ho Viet Sy - Chairman of Nam Anh Commune People's Committee said: The commune has purchased a sprayer for epidemic prevention and control, but because that sprayer is often used to spray at pig culling points, the checkpoint is sometimes available and sometimes not. As for lime powder, the commune has proactively purchased 8 tons of lime, and the district has also provided enough chemicals. However, lime and chemicals are stored at the commune and are only used when needed.

Mr. Sy added: The epidemic has been occurring in the area for more than a month, with 510 pigs destroyed, belonging to 57 households, with a total weight of more than 24.7 tons.

Dead pigs floating in the pig disposal pit of Nam Anh commune. Photo: PV

Arriving at the area where pigs infected with the disease were destroyed in Nam Anh commune, due to the rain, the water was floating, and observation showed that there was a dead pig floating on the pig destruction pit. Mr. Nguyen Thuc Quang - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune who accompanied him said that perhaps someone had thrown the dead pig there, because the commune hired a machine to dig a hole 2-3m deep, so it was impossible for the pig to get out.

Coming to Nam Xuan commune, a locality where African swine fever is occurring, but the disease prevention and control work here is also negligent and subjective. On the main roads of the commune, there is only one checkpoint at the end of the commune, but there is no one on duty. People here said that they rarely see anyone on duty at this checkpoint. People are worried, the price of live pigs is increasing, if the commune does not do a good job of controlling the disease, farmers will sell off their pigs, causing the disease to spread widely.

A checkpoint for epidemic control in Nam Xuan commune has no one on duty. Photo: PV

Talking to us, Mr. Ho Sy Hai - Vice Chairman of Nam Dan District People's Committee said: Since the African swine fever outbreak in the district, the district People's Committee has strengthened the Steering Committee for epidemic prevention and control, and the communes have also strengthened the steering committee. Accordingly, the district assigned the members of the steering committee to stay at the grassroots level, together with the local authorities to focus on epidemic prevention and control. The district will direct the immediate remedial measures for localities that are still negligent and subjective about the epidemic.

As of October 9, in Nam Dan district, there are 12 communes where African swine fever has occurred for less than 30 days: Nam Anh, Nam Xuan, Nam Hung, Nam Nghia, Nam Thanh, Van Dien, Nam Linh, Nam Giang, Nam Cat, Kim Lien, Hong Long and Khanh Son. The number of infected pigs forced to be destroyed is 3,802, with a total weight of 184 tons.