Additional outbreaks of African swine fever detected in HCM City

After receiving reports that pig flocks at three households in Tan Tao ward, Binh Tan district, were showing symptoms of the ASF epidemic on July 3, veterinary workers from HCM City’s Veterinary and Animal Health Sub-Department took samples from the contaminated pig farms for testing at laboratories.

The results of the samples tested positive for the ASF virus and a total of 122 infected pigs were culled in line with existing regulations in a bid prevent the virus from spreading further.

Huynh Tan Phat, deputy head of HCM City Veterinary and Animal Health Sub-Department, said ASF outbreaks have been mostly discovered at small-scale pig-farming households which use leftover food as pig feed.

In order to cope with the situation, the department has worked in collaboration with HCM City’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to mobilize more than 270 households to stop using leftover food from the city’s restaurants as pig feed to prevent the further spread of ASF.

The HCM City Veterinary and Animal Health Sub-Department will convene a meeting among animal farming facilities and large-scale pig farming households to review preventive measures against the ASF epidemic, Phat said.

The meeting will also serve as a chance to encourage households to apply bio-safety measures in breeding activities.