Like other localities nationwide, the Da Nang authorities will take effective measures to help prevent the spread of African swine fever to the city as the risks of transmission from neighbouring China increase.

The district-level authorities will focus on early detecting outbreak hotspots, controlling the slaughtering and trading of pigs and pork products in their localities, especially detecting those of unknown origin, and immediately report any cases of the infectious disease found in their localities to the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

When any outbreak occurs, the district-level authorities have to conduct the destruction of all pig herds within 24 hours after a positive test.

It is also important to shut down the transport of (live) pigs and pork products, including processed, cooked pork products, from infected areas to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease to the city.

The deadly and highly contagious virus, passed through contaminated feed or exposure to infected animals, has a near-100% fatality rate and there is no vaccine.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has urged all localities nationwide to keep a close eye on local pig farms, and to urgently take samples for testing if any pigs fall ill or present any symptoms associated with the disease. In addition, sales of live pigs and pork products through border crossings are also banned.

Viet Nam has more than 27 millions pigs, most of which are consumed domestically, with pork accounting for three quarters of total meat consumption in the Southeast Asian nation of 95 million people.

Last month, China reported outbreaks of African swine fever in several provinces, including Yunnan, a border province with Viet Nam. There is also a danger of the disease spreading into Viet Nam through smuggled pigs of unknown origin. Smuggling is a regular occurrence, especially in the northern border provinces with China.