#19,103
In the 2 years prior to COVID's arrival, ASF (African Swine Fever) swept through China, and spilled over into other Asian countries, killing hundreds of millions of pigs (see African Swine Fever In China: Epizootic or An EpicZootic?).
While ASF doesn't pose a direct threat to human health, over the past decade it has killed somewhere between 1/3rd and 1/2 of the world's swine and poses a constant threat to spread to unaffected regions, including the United States and Canada (see USDA Enhances Domestic ASF Surveillance Efforts).
Six weeks ago, in South Korea: MAFRA Detects ASF DNA in Pig Feed Additive as Outbreaks Increase (n=18), we saw the impact of contaminated pig feed in South Korea.
Over the past few years we've seen numerous reports (see here, here, here, and here) on the confiscation ASF-positive food products (see photo below) carried by travelers coming from endemic regions, at ports of entry in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and Australia.
The most recent FAO report (March 19th, 2006) shows the spread of ASF across Asia (note: China rarely reports outbreaks, despite many anecdotal reports).
Viet Nam: Since the first ASF outbreak was confirmed on 19 February 2019, all provinces/municipalities have experienced outbreaks. The number of outbreaks has decreased from >6 000 outbreaks (2019) to 1 256 (2022) [reference1, reference2], and 714 in 2023 [reference3], but increased to 1 609 in 2024 [reference4]. In 2025, a total of 2 782 outbreaks have been confirmed.
Nationwide, over 1.27 million pigs have been culled, which represents more than 13-fold increase in 2025 compared to 2024. The peak of outbreaks occurred in July and August, primarily affecting small-scale farms that failed to meet biosecurity standards [reference5]. In 2026, as of 12 March, 261 outbreaks have been reported in 24 provinces/municipalities, leading to the destruction of over 14 700 pigs [reference6].
But this reflects only what is officially reported.
Last January, it was widely reported that 120 tons of contaminated pork was about to be canned and shipped to supermarkets in Vietnam (see Supermarkets pull Ha Long canned pork after diseased meat discovery).
- Hai Phong City Police dismantled a criminal network that collected 120–130 tons of pork infected with African swine fever (ASF) and smuggled it into the Hạ Long Canned Food Joint Stock Company warehouse between mid-2025 and early January 2026.
- Approximately two tons of infected meat had been processed, deboned, and canned into finished products bearing the company's label before authorities intervened on 07 Jan 2026.
Today, Hanoi's Police has announced the arrest of 8 individuals (including meat inspectors) who supplied another 300 tons of contaminated pork to markets, with some ending up in school cafeterias. The (translated) official report reads:
Previously, on March 17, 2026, the Economic Police Department of Hanoi City Police conducted an inspection of pig slaughtering operations at the slaughterhouse owned by Nguyen Thi Hien (born in 1995; residing in Ngoc Hoi, Hanoi) within the Van Phuc centralized livestock slaughtering facility (Hamlet 3, Nam Phu Commune, Hanoi City). This slaughterhouse supplies a large quantity of pork primarily to wholesale markets, local markets, and major food supply companies in the city.While it is possible that ASF infected (and uninspected) pigs may carry other diseases/parasites that could sicken humans, the big danger here is that the virus is easily spread through the sale and transport of contaminated pork products.
The inspection revealed that Nguyen Thi Hien had slaughtered pigs infected with African swine fever. Hien and several other individuals colluded closely, forming a closed network from collecting diseased pigs in provinces such as Phu Tho and Tuyen Quang, transporting them to Hanoi, slaughtering them centrally, and distributing them to the market. In addition, the individuals conspired with some quarantine officials to bypass mandatory inspections, allowing diseased and even dead pigs to be slaughtered.From the beginning of 2026 until now, the individuals involved have consumed approximately 3,600 pigs infected with the disease (equivalent to nearly 300 tons). This meat was distributed to wholesale markets, local markets, and sold to Cuong Phat Food Co., Ltd. This company then supplied food to several schools in Hanoi.
In 2018 the FAO described ASF as:
A robust virus with a long life: The ASF virus is very hardy and can survive long periods in very cold and very hot weather, and even in dried or cured pork products.
"The movement of pig products can spread diseases quickly and, as in this case of African Swine Fever, it's likely that the movement of such products, rather than live pigs, has caused the spread of the virus to other parts of China," explained Juan Lubroth, FAO's Chief Veterinarian.
This is just the latest example we've seen of illegal activity threatening to spread agricultural and/or zoonotic diseases. Over the past few months we've also seen:
Repeated reports of `Midnight' dumping or burial of H5N1 poultry in Taiwan
South Korea MAFRA Investigations into Biosecurity Lapses on HPAI Affected Poultry Farms
And the recent discovery reported in the EID Journal of a Vaccine-Like African Swine Fever Virus Strain in Domestic Pigs, Thailand, 2024 - first detected in Vietnam in 2024 - which may be the product of unauthorized experimental use, a black-market vaccine, or even a lab accident.
Of course, most of these risky endeavors likely go unreported.
For years, we've been warned that CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) would lead to the next pandemic. And while that may still happen, recent trends suggest that FAFOs (`F' Around & Find Out) may be just as risky.
