Strengthening disease prevention and control and vaccination against African Swine Fever

On the morning of August 1, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development held a conference to implement Directive No. 11/CT-UBND, dated July 18, 2024 of the Provincial People's Committee Chairman on African Swine Fever vaccination. Comrade Cao Van Cuong, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development chaired the conference. Also attending were representatives of units, localities, enterprises, and livestock households in the province.

Conference overview.

Since the beginning of 2024, the animal disease situation has been very complicated, especially African Swine Fever (ASF) which has shown a strong upward trend. There have been 768 outbreaks in 45 provinces and cities nationwide, the number of outbreaks has increased by 50% compared to 2023; in which, provinces bordering Thanh Hoa such as Ninh Binh, Nghe An, Hoa Binh, Son La have all had outbreaks.

Representatives of units, localities, businesses and livestock households in the province attended the conference.

Although the ASF epidemic in the province is being well controlled, our province has a large pig herd, high livestock density, small-scale livestock farming that does not ensure biosafety and disease safety still accounts for a high proportion; the ASF virus has a very complicated disease transmission route... Therefore, in the coming time, the risk of ASF entering and spreading widely in our province is very high, potentially causing great damage to the livestock industry, affecting the food supply...

Comrade Cao Van Cuong, Provincial Party Committee member, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development spoke at the conference.

Therefore, in Directive No. 11/CT-UBND dated July 18, 2024, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested districts, towns, cities, relevant departments, branches and sectors to focus on directing, organizing drastic, synchronous and effective implementation of measures to prevent and control ASF in accordance with the direction of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. In particular, focusing on urgently implementing a number of contents such as: Assigning forces to deploy disease surveillance to villages/hamlets, promptly detecting and organizing the complete handling of outbreaks when they first arise and are still small in scale; instructing farmers to strengthen the application of disease prevention and control measures, biosafety in animal husbandry; organizing the review and statistics of the total pig herd and the number of pigs vaccinated to develop plans, prioritize funding for vaccine purchase and organize synchronous vaccination; Review, consolidate, and fully arrange veterinary professional forces at all levels to ensure meeting the requirements of disease prevention and control in the area; manage the transportation, slaughter, and trading of livestock and poultry meat in the province, especially the management of the transportation of breeding pigs...

Mr. Dang Van Hiep, Head of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, reported on the animal disease situation and prevention of ASF in the province.

Regarding vaccination, currently, a number of large livestock enterprises in the province have proactively funded and implemented vaccination; the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine has closely coordinated with enterprises to evaluate the effectiveness and quantity of implementation as a basis for implementing the next vaccination. In addition, the province has deployed 2,500 doses of TLCP vaccine for testing, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine has coordinated to support farmers in collecting 14 serum samples for monitoring, 78% of the samples have antibodies to prevent the disease.

Representative of AVac Vietnam Joint Stock Company shares experience in vaccination work.

At the conference, businesses and localities discussed measures to prevent and control TLCP epidemic, especially the important role of vaccines.

Concluding the conference, Mr. Cao Van Cuong, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasized: ASF is a dangerous disease that causes great damage to the livestock industry. Therefore, preventing and stopping the spread of the disease is an important task, especially focusing on vaccination.

Representatives of Trieu Son district leaders shared experiences in disease prevention and control and vaccination organization.

In the coming time, units and localities need to resolutely, synchronously and effectively implement measures to prevent and control ASF in accordance with the direction of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Regarding vaccination, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine will closely coordinate with vaccine production and supply enterprises, enterprises, facilities and pig farming households to assess the effectiveness of vaccination work, post-vaccination incidents in the field to develop vaccination plans and monitor vaccination work in the province in accordance with the actual situation and requirements for disease prevention and control. Districts, towns and cities will coordinate with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine to direct specialized agencies, organize management, closely monitor and supervise to agents, farms, facilities and households on the use of vaccines to promptly assess and handle post-vaccination incidents (if any) as soon as they arise and on a small scale.

Le Ngoc

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tang-cuong-phong-chong-dich-benh-va-tiem-phong-vac-xin-dich-ta-lon-chau-phi-221018.htm