 |
| CREDIT MARD |
#14,063
While the most recent ASF situation in Asia update from the FAO (May 9th) puts Vietnam's losses due to African Swine Fever since it was first reported in Mid-February at less than 90,000 pigs, a report today from Vietnam's Minister of MARD Nguyen Xuan Cuong painted a far bleaker picture.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, the pair outlined the devastating spread of the virus across 29 provinces of Vietnam, and the often ineffective responses by local officials.Some excerpts from a MARD report on the Conference.
At the Conference, Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong emphasized the history of pig breeding industry in the world and Vietnam has never faced an extremely dangerous epidemic, very difficult, complicated and expensive in the room, anti; especially the biggest economic loss ever.
This epidemic is extremely dangerous, while the world does not have preventive medicine, no cure. From August 2018, when the disease occurred in China, Vietnam actively prevented diseases. The Prime Minister had close instructions, and MARD has also developed coping scenarios. After the disease outbreak, we have applied all measures, from legal documents to specific stages of processing.
However, the speed of epidemic spread is very fast. At present, African swine flu has spread to 2,296 communes, 204 districts of 29 provinces and cities, with a total of over 1.2 million pigs infected and destroyed (accounting for over 4% of the total pig herd). country).
Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong noted: Although the number of infected pigs accounts for only 4%, the speed of spread is very fast, along with favorable weather for disease spread. In addition to the localities that do well, there are still places that do not work well and need to draw experience. Predictably, the disease will continue to spread complicatedly, the direction must tighten to minimize the damage caused, reduce the risk of spread, especially in large breeding areas.
(SNIP)
The organization of destroying sick pigs and pigs has not been timely and not yet thorough. According to Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien, although the Government, the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have issued many directing documents, some localities have not yet organized to destroy sick pigs and pigs within 24 hours of detection. ; In some cases, it is not enough to arrange pigs to destroy pigs, to let pigs die in the barn over the prescribed time, the breeders self-destroy and throw pig carcasses into the environment.
In many places, destruction techniques are not guaranteed, sick pigs are transported from livestock households to destruction sites by rudimentary means but do not have canvas / plastic for lining, covering, resulting in waste and feces. pigs, secretions, even pig blood spilled into the environment; the force of pig slaughtering has not been trained and technical guidance to minimize the spread and spread of pathogens during the destruction process; means, tools and clothes of pigs' destroyers have not yet met the requirements of hygiene and antiseptic to kill pathogens, spread disease.
Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said: The localities have not really been able to effectively combat the epidemic. Sanitation, disinfection and poisoning work have not met the requirements; Small breeding methods, causing difficulties for disease prevention and control. In particular, there are cases where the government entrusts the veterinary staff to self-check, take care of the lime themselves, spray the antiseptic by themselves and organize self-destruction.
At the Conference, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung emphasized that the cholera epidemic in Africa has been happening in 29 provinces and cities and there is no sign of stopping; The disease is likely to cause great economic losses, affecting Vietnam's livestock industry; meanwhile, there are currently no medicines, no vaccines for disease prevention, so the risk of disease arising in the coming time is very high.
(Continue . . . )
Unlike China, which tends to raise pigs in large farming operations, Vietnam relies primarily upon smaller, local communes for pig production. According to a 2015 conference report titled Household pork consumption behavior in Vietnam:
`Pork represents more than 70% of meat consumption in Vietnam, and pig production provides livelihood for more than 4 million small farmers in the country.'Vietnam's less centralized pig production has likely blunted the initial impact of ASF, but the virus continues to make significant gains across the country. Vietnam, and eventually all of Southeast Asia, could face serious economic and societal turmoil as the virus spreads.
China, meanwhile, has all but stopped reporting outbreaks, and is now reporting fewer losses over the last 8 months than Vietnam has over 90 days. The FAO's latest ASF update (May 9th) on China is virtually unchanged since early April, citing a loss of just over 1 million pigs to date.
ChinaThere is, however, substantial evidence that China is dramatically under-reporting their losses (see African Swine Fever In China: Epizootic or An EpicZootic?).
Since the China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) confirmed its first African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in Liaoning Province on 3 August 2018, 129 ASF outbreaks detected in 31 Provinces/Autonomous Region/Municipalities. MARA reported on 23 April 2019 that 1,020,000 pigs have been culled in an effort to halt further spread [reference].
While some organizations - like the FAO's Food Outlook Report, estimate China's losses close to 20%, a month ago, a Rabobank Research report estimated that between 150-200 million Chinese pigs have already been infected with ASF - more than all the pigs in Europe - and that China's pig production will drop 30% in 2019.
We've seen other estimates (see ASF China: Global agribusiness suffers; estimates vary) proposing even greater losses.While ASF doesn't pose a direct threat to human health, it is devastating to pork producers, and its continued spread in China and across Asia could compromise already fragile food security in many regions.
As we've discussed previously, food insecurity - whether due to disease, floods, droughts, or other causes - can bring on severe economic and societal challenges (see Iran: Bird Flu, Food Insecurity & Civil Unrest).ASF has never been reported in North America, but the longer and farther the virus spreads in Asia and Eastern Europe, the bigger the potential for it to spread into this hemisphere. Late in 2018 the USDA released a new African Swine Fever Factsheet that discussed their preparations for a possible introduction of the virus into this country.
The USDA's ASF Website reads:
African Swine Fever (ASF)
Last Modified: May 2, 2019
African swine fever is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting both domestic and wild pigs of all ages. ASF is not a threat to human health and cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans. It is not a food safety issue.
ASF is found in countries around the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. More recently, it has spread through China, Mongolia and Vietnam, as well as within parts of the European Union. It has never been found in the United States – and we want to keep it that way.
New Information Available for African Swine Fever
Joint Statement on the International African Swine Fever Forum
APHIS has developed three new resources related to African swine fever:
These documents are available in the 'Technical Documents' section below.
- A qualitative assessment of the likelihood of African swine fever virus entry to the United States.
- A non-animal origin feed ingredient risk evaluation framework.
- A literature review of non-animal origin feed ingredients and the transmission of viral pathogens of swine.
Why is African Swine Fever a Concern?(Continue . . . )
ASF is a devastating, deadly disease that would have a significant impact on U.S. livestock producers, their communities and the economy if it were found here. There is no treatment or vaccine available for this disease. The only way to stop this disease is to depopulate all affected or exposed swine herds.
USDA is working closely with other federal and state agencies, the swine industry, and producers to take the necessary actions to protect our nation’s pigs and keep this disease out. This group is also actively preparing to respond if ASF were ever detected in the U.S.
