A widespread and escalating situation

L.V.C, a livestock farmer in Thanh Nưa commune, shared his distress: On June 18, over 20 market pigs, each weighing nearly 50kg and valued at nearly VND 70 million, had to be culled due to ASF infection.

Initially, noticing signs of anorexia in the pigs, L.V.C administered antibiotics. After two days, the pigs began eating again. However, by the fourth day, they relapsed, eating less, becoming lethargic, and lying still. The family reported the issue to the commune veterinary service, which conducted testing. The results confirmed ASF, and the family complied with mandatory culling.

According to Lèo Văn Đoan, Head of Hồng Lạnh hamlet in Thanh Nưa commune, ASF spread to seven households in the hamlet, resulting in the destruction of nearly two tons of pigs. Alongside compensation and culling processes, local veterinary officers have guided farmers in decontaminating their farms, cleaning and disinfecting barns, tools, vehicles, and surrounding areas.

A 260kg breeding sow owned by Lò Văn Hòa in Chiềng An hamlet, Thanh An commune, also had to be culled due to ASF. Hòa explained that if not for the disease, his family would have been selling piglets by the end of July. “Each year, we get two piglet litters from that sow, bringing in VND 35-40 million in extra income. Losing her is a significant financial blow,” he said.

He noted that ASF is not new to the area, but its recurrence this year has been especially severe and nearly untreatable. Once pigs are infected, culling is the only solution. The ASF “storm” sweeping through the Mường Thanh basin has left many livestock households in debt from feed and veterinary costs. Farmers expressed a desire for state support to ease their hardship and help them rebuild their herds after the outbreak.

Vừ A Chía, Deputy Director of the district Agricultural Service Center, confirmed: From May 15 to June 12, ASF was reported in 26 households across 16 villages in five communes: Thanh Xương, Thanh Chăn, Thanh An, Thanh Yên, and Thanh Nưa. All samples tested by the Central Veterinary Diagnostic Center were positive for ASF. On June 13, Điện Biên district officially declared an ASF outbreak. As of June 24, nearly 60 breeding sows and over 100 market pigs had been culled, totaling nearly 13 tons of pork.

Causes behind the rapid spread

According to Vừ A Chía, the primary reasons for ASF’s rapid spread include small-scale, scattered farming without proper biosecurity, and a lack of attention to preventive vaccination. Many livestock owners do not proactively report their operations.

The response is further hampered by households failing to notify authorities when pigs fall ill. Some hide outbreaks, sell off sick pigs, or fail to report dead animals. There’s also difficulty in controlling the illegal trade, slaughter, and transport of sick or potentially infected pigs from outbreak zones to unaffected areas. The unregulated movement and sale of pigs, especially when done without health inspection, have severely complicated containment efforts.

Currently, two ASF vaccines are licensed in Vietnam: NAVETASFVAC by NAVETCO and AVAC ASF LIVE by AVAC Vietnam. However, Mr. Chía said widespread vaccination remains challenging. These vaccines are costly, not on the mandatory list, and therefore not subsidized by the government. Manufacturers also require pigs to be healthy at the time of vaccination, but detecting early infection is difficult, as pigs may appear healthy while carrying the virus. “If pigs die post-vaccination, it becomes difficult to explain to farmers. So ASF vaccination must be voluntary and carefully managed after confirming animal health,” he added.

In response to the worsening ASF situation, the Điện Biên district Agricultural Service Center has issued prevention and control guidance to farmers, assigned technical staff to support communes, monitored farm conditions, and implemented emergency containment measures in line with regulations.

Following the administrative restructuring to a two-tier system, commune-level authorities have been urged to intensify public information campaigns using diverse formats to raise awareness about ASF risks, impacts, and prevention methods. Authorities are continuing inspections, disease monitoring, and swift eradication of active outbreaks.

While the disease is currently under control, the risk of resurgence remains high. ASF has previously affected nearly every commune in the district. The virus persists in the environment, has complex transmission paths, and vaccination rates remain low. There are over 56,751 pigs being raised in small-scale households, making containment efforts even more difficult. Households are urged to strengthen disease prevention, thoroughly disinfect farms, and regularly update local authorities and veterinary services on suspected outbreaks.