Vietnam forced to cull thousands of pigs due to African swine fever
VOV.VN - African swine fever (ASF) has hit 929 communes in 258 districts across 50 provinces and cities nationwide, according to a report compiled by the Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
This comes after roughly 1,049 outbreaks being discovered and a total of 47,474 pigs being culled nationwide in an effort to halt the spread of the virus.
Large numbers of infected pigs have been killed in Bac Lieu and Dak Lak provinces, at over 660 and 133, respectively.
The primary reason behind this is local authorities having yet to effectively manage the transport, purchase, and slaughter of pigs in affected areas.
The ASF virus does not affect humans, although it does cause hemorrhagic fever in pigs and wild boars that is almost always fatal. In addition, there is no antidote or vaccine, with the only known preventative measure being a mass cull of infected livestock.
The disease can spread by contact between infected pigs or other wild animals and is capable of inflicting massive economic damage on farms.