Recently, Phu Tho has been one of the localities with a strong outbreak of African swine fever, with complicated developments. The epidemic has appeared in 119/148 communes and wards, nearly 7,500 livestock households were affected.
The whole province has set up hundreds of quarantine posts and implemented many measures to suppress the epidemic. However, there is still a situation where some households secretly dump dead pigs into rivers and streams, causing environmental pollution and seriously affecting the risk of spreading.
In that context, there are people who volunteer to do the silent work of collecting dead pigs for handling in accordance with regulations. The story of Mr. Bui Anh Tho (born in 2007, Tram hamlet, Toan Thang commune) is an example.
While picking up trash from the stream, Mr. Tho discovered a floating pig carcass with a foul smell. He immediately reported to the local authorities, along with local security forces, to pull the pigs ashore, dig bury holes, spray lime powder, and disinfect them.
While pulling the pig's body out of the deep stream, he unfortunately suffered a shoulder injury and had to be treated. "During the disease outbreak, many households suffered losses. However, many people are less conscious and throw dead pigs into the stream, causing both disease spread and environmental pollution," said Mr. Tho.
The young man's timely and brave actions were recognized by the people and local authorities.
In Kim Boi commune, Mr. Bui Van Tung ( Luc Ca hamlet) also made important contributions to the peak of the epidemic. With an old motorbike and a shovel he always carries, he travels through streams to find the dead pigs that have been thrown away.
Over the past 2 months, he alone has discovered and buried more than 170 floating pigs. On peak days, he personally transported and buried 6 pigs.
"There are too many dead pigs, people who raise livestock without awareness just throw them in rivers and streams, causing river pollution and spreading the disease to many places," Mr. Tung shared.
Mr. Tung's dedication is also recognized by the community. The family of Ms. Quach Thi Chung (Boi Ca hamlet, Kim Boi commune) raises large-scale pigs, regularly spraying disinfectants, and fences to prevent infectious diseases.
Ms. Chung shared: My family is very worried because some people lack awareness and throw the pigs into the environment. Thanks to the work of people like Mr. Tung, the risk of spreading the new epidemic is somewhat limited. That work also spreads the spirit of epidemic prevention to the community.
The silent actions took place in the context of Phu Tho being the focus of African swine fever. According to Mr. Hoang Manh Thong, Head of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries, the whole province currently has a herd of nearly 2 million pigs, the number of small-scale pig farming households is up to 134 thousand households, and livestock farming conditions have not ensured biosafety, so the risk of disease spreading is very high.
Mr. Thong emphasized that the epidemic is at its peak and it is expected that by mid-October there will be signs of decreasing. Therefore, livestock farmers need to closely monitor developments, stretch flocks, resolutely not to re-hunt and must destroy sick pigs according to regulations, not throat them haphazardly into the environment.
