VOV.VN - The northern province of Lai Chau has sent an urgent telegram urging communes to strengthen preventive measures in order to combat the spread of African swine fever.

To date, African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks have been detected in 48 communes across eight districts and towns throughout the province, resulting in more than 7,400 pigs being culled. 

In order to cope with the recurrence of the ASF epidemic in five communes, Chairman of the Lai Chau People’s Committee Tran Tien Dung signed an urgent telegraph asking communes to increase their efforts in the fight against the epidemic on July 18. 

According to the telegram, in order to halt the further spread of ASF and minimise losses caused by the epidemic, Mr Dung has requested that relevant agencies and chairmen of the People’s Committees at grassroots levels take direct preventive measures to eradicate the virus. 

He called on local authorities to act in a timely manner to detect ASF outbreaks and cull infected pigs in line with current regulations to avoid causing excessive environmental pollution. 

Furthermore, local authorities at grassroots levels have been urged to spread information regarding the epidemic. 

In addition, they have been asked to instruct breeders to take necessary measures to ensure food safety standards by spraying disinfectants at slaughter houses and trading locations throughout the region as well as providing timely financial support to pig-farming households that suffer losses from infected swine. 

The telegram states how local authorities should establish quarantine checkpoints and strengthen control over the trading and transportation of pigs.

Moreover, pork products being sold without unknown origins should be clamped down upon along with any other violations according to set laws. 

The ASF epidemic was first discovered in Lai Chau in late March in Then Sin commune of Tam Duong district. With local authorities taking drastic measures to stamp out the epidemic, nearly 30 communes in the province have been able to declare free of the virus.