According to the Department of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary and Fisheries of Son La province, since the beginning of the year, the whole province has recorded 30 outbreaks of African swine fever with 116 livestock households in 31 villages of 18 communes and wards affected.
The total number of pigs that had to be destroyed by the epidemic was 864 with a total weight of over 40 tons. Currently, there are still 2 outbreaks in Chieng Coi ward, Yen Chau commune in less than 21 days.
The situation of pigs with epidemics is not strictly controlled and destroyed according to regulations, leading to some subjects collecting and transporting them elsewhere for consumption, affecting the rights and health of consumers.
Recently, on the evening of July 11, the functional forces of Phu Tho Provincial Police discovered and made a record of the case against the owner of a car with license plate: 37H-024.36 transporting 192 pigs (about 17.2 tons) on the way to sell.
At the time of inspection, the owner of the truck could not present documents proving its origin. The authorities have coordinated with specialized units to take 5 samples for testing. The results showed that up to 4/5 samples were positive for the African swine fever virus (ASFV).
According to the statement of the owner of the above car, all of the above pigs were collected and transported from Son La for consumption in Hanoi.
The authorities promptly destroyed all of the pigs that night and fined the vehicle owner according to the provisions of law.
In the face of the complicated developments of the African swine fever situation, the People's Committee of Son La province issued Official Letter No. 2876/UBND-KT directing relevant units to focus on implementing drastic measures to prevent, combat and completely handle African swine fever outbreaks in the province.
On July 14, speaking with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Toan - Head of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (under the Department of Agriculture and Environment) of Son La province said that Son La province has established a Steering Committee for animal disease prevention at the provincial and district levels to mobilize resources and the participation of all levels and sectors to implement solutions to prevent African swine fever.
The provincial Department of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary and Fisheries has also advised the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment to strengthen quarantine and control the slaughter of pigs and pig products. At the same time, coordinate with functional forces to prevent and strictly handle cases of illegal transportation.
"The risk of African swine fever in the province is still at risk of complication, we recommend that farmers continue to monitor their livestock, increase care, get fully vaccinated, and sanitize the barn. When detecting unusual signs, immediately report to the authorities for timely handling" - Mr. Toan shared.
