An animal health worker fumigate an area to prevent African swine fever (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese authorities forces areramping up efforts to tackle African swine fever, which is spreading in severallocalities.
The Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance(DMS) reported on the outbreak and prevention efforts to Minister of Industryand Trade Tran Tuan Anh on March 13.
DMS General Director Tran Huu Linh said thereare signs African swine fever is spreading. As of March 12, 14 provinces andcities had recorded the disease, namely Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Hai Phong, ThanhHoa, Hanoi, Ha Nam, Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen, Quang Ninh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, DienBien, Hoa Binh and Hai Duong, all in the northern region.
New hotbeds have been reported in localitieslike Thai Nguyen, Quang Ninh and Hanoi.
He attributed the problem partly to thetransportation, trading and consumption of smuggled pork and pork products orthose with unclear origin, especially in northern border provinces throughoutthe Lunar New Year festival in early February.
Additionally, livestock farming in Vietnam isstill small-scale with high density, while many farmers haven’t properlycarried out disease prevention measures, leading to the disease’s rapid spread.
Linh said the DMS on February 20 and March 8demanded market surveillance departments of all 63 provinces and cities step upurgent measures to control the epidemic.
Under this direction, local authorities havemoved to put the disease under control with several tactics, includingincreasing inspections of pork transportation on key roads, points of transitfor pork and pork products and illegal slaughter.
He said the DMS will continue requesting allforces be mobilised for African swine fever prevention and control, increasecoordination with relevant agencies and strictly deal with violations of law.-VNA
VNA
