July 18, 2024

 

Growing spread of ASF in Vietnam, government document states

 

 

African swine fever outbreaks are spreading in Vietnam and could affect its food supplies and put upward pressure on inflation, according to a government document.

 

"The risk of wider spread of the disease is very high, and it can affect food supplies, consumer prices and the environment," said the Vietnamese government document dated July 14 and was reviewed by Reuters.

 

Vietnam has culled 42,400 infected pigs so far this year, the document said, up by nearly five times that of the same period last year.

 

The country has this year detected 660 ASF outbreaks nationwide, compared to 208 outbreaks during the same period last year.

 

The government in the document ordered provinces to deploy measures to curb the spread, including prioritising funds for vaccinating pigs against the disease.

 

Vietnam in July last year approved the domestic commercial use of two home-grown vaccines, the world's first commercial vaccines for ASF.

 

In December, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) warned that more testing of ASF vaccines was needed.

 

An increase in pork prices due to ASF in some localities was among the causes for Vietnam's higher consumer price index in June, according to the General Statistics Office.

 

Foodstuff prices rose 3.23% in the month against the same period of 2023, official data show.

 

- Reuters