Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime MinisterTrinh Dinh Dung has asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development(MARD), relevant agencies and local authorities to urgently implement measuresto prevent the spread of African swine fever.

The Deputy PM asked local authorities and agencies to provide timelyinformation for pig breeders and to assist those who own infected pigs.

The official chaired an emergency meeting on February 28 to discuss measures toprevent and limit the fever’s spread. The move followed a Government orderto implement prompt measures to prevent the disease spreading.

MARD Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said African swine fever had been found in20 communes of 13 districts in four provinces, Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoaand Ha Nam, and Hai Phong city.

The total number of culled pigs was nearly 2,350 with estimated losses of tensof billions of dong.

Sick pigs were found at a farm in Van Xa commune, Kim Bang district, Ha Nam provinceearly this week.

All 15 pigs with the disease were culled andburied immediately by the provincial Department of Animal Health and localauthorities. Measures to control the spread of disease were implemented in thelocality.

The department took 388 pig samples for testing from the farms of 98 householdsnear the affected household.

The tests found most of the pigs were safe, however at some households,infected pigs were found and culled.

Tien said one of the reasons for the disease’s spread was ineffectiveprevention efforts in some localities.

Pig breeding farms haven’t supervised and timely reported information on thedisease to authorities. Infected pigs must be culled, while antisepticsubstances must be sprayed on vehicles coming into and out of infected areas toprevent possible outbreaks, according to Tien.

MARD Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong said: “African swinefever does not spread to humans and poultry, but the disease is very dangerousbecause pigs die quickly and there is no vaccine.

“Solutionsmust be implemented synchronously. Disease prevention is the main goal to avoidcausing panic for people.”

The minister urged localities at border areas to tighten control on trading,slaughtering and transporting pigs and pork products to prevent outbreaks ofthe disease.

According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), African swinefever is a fatal infectious disease caused by a virus which spreads rapidlyamong pigs.

The OIE estimates that since early 2017, as many as 20 countries have reportedinfections of African swine fever with more than one million pigs culled.-VNA