The African swine fever epidemic has spread to the 14th locale in Vietnam, according to local husbandry and veterinary medicine authorities.

African swine fever was officially recorded in Ngan Son District, located in the northern province of Bac Kan, on Tuesday afternoon, the provincial Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine Department said.

A pig was found refusing to eat, catching a high fever, bleeding, having swollen eyes, and showing signs of being infected with the deadly virus at the household of Hoang Van Duc in Ngan Son District on Saturday.

Animal healthcare workers quickly took a sample from the swine for testing and instructed the household to destroy the pig as well as clear the area. 

Results came back on Tuesday, confirming the sample to be positive for African swine fever.

Local authorities have detoxified the area and its vicinity, preparing for the destruction of all nearby pigs when they catch the virus from the infected pig.

Two checkpoints have been set up in the district, limiting human and vehicle travel to the region.

Fourteen localities have been struck by the fever, which is fatal to pigs but does not affect people, including Hanoi, Ha Nam, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Quang Ninh, and Bac Kan.

Vietnam has culled over 17,000 pigs developing African swine fever.

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