VOV.VN - The central highlands province of Gia Lai and the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang have recorded their first outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) following reports from farms in the respective areas.

The Chu Puh district People’s Committee issued an urgent document which put measures in place to further prevent the spread of the ASF epidemic in the locality. 

Between May 14 and 23, a total of 135 pigs from 35 households in Chu Don commune were reported dead. Following tests being done from samples of the pigs at Gia Lai province’s veterinary branch, it was revealed that they had tested positive for the ASF virus.

Following news of the outbreak, the Chu Puh district People’s Committee sprayed disinfectants throughout the contaminated pigs farms and set up two quarantine checkpoints in order to strictly monitor the transportation of livestock and livestock products in and out of the affected areas

Each vehicle that passed through the infected area was also disinfected while pigs were forced to be culled in line with current regulations. 

On May 23, an additional 24 pigs were reported dead in the communes of La Le and La Blu. The Chu Puh district People’s Committee directed relevant units to provide the communes with 24 litres of Bencocid to spray throughout the pig farms. 

Elsewhere on the morning of May 24, the Kien Giang province’s animal husbandry and veterinary sub-department collaborated with the Tan Hiep B commune People’s Committee to carry out a cull 33 pigs belonging to a local resident in Tan Hiep district. 

The results of samples taken from the pig-farming household were tested positive for the ASF virus. The positive test marks the first outbreak to be detected in Kien Giang.

Nguyen Thanh Duc, the director of the provincial animal husbandry and veterinary sub-department, requested that local authorities strictly monitor the transportation and slaughter of livestock as well as increasing the daily spraying of disinfectants at pig farms to prevent the spread of the ASF epidemic.

Mr Duc said that four mobile quarantine stations in the districts of Vinh Thuan, Chau Thanh, Kien Luong, and Anh Minh had been set up while three checkpoints had been established at key transport routes in the districts of Go Quao, Gong Rieng, and Tan Hiep. 

The province also plans to create two more checkpoints in the districts of Hon Dat and Giang Thanh to strengthen the supervision of the transportation of livestock and seafood products through the region.