Animal diseases have rapidly spread in cattle and poultry in several cities and provinces in Vietnam over the past few months, and rampant animal smuggling is to blame, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Speaking at a conference held in Hanoi on Monday to deploy measures to prevent and fight animal diseases, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said that many localities are being hit by African swine fever, bird flu, hand, foot, and mouth disease, and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome.

“African swine fever clusters are developing rapidly in some provinces, such as Quang Ninh and Bac Kan [in the north], so it is urgent to contain the disease,” Tien said.

Animal trafficking is one of the main reasons behind the spread of animal diseases in cattle and poultry, Tien stressed.

Pig smuggling has become rampant in the southern region, while poultry smuggling remains prevalent in the north, he said.

Long-haul buses are transporting Chinese chickens and ducks in many provinces across northern Vietnam rather than people, he noted.

Tien underscored that Vietnam is building disease-free animal husbandry zones, so if animal smuggling is not controlled well, the spread of animal diseases will hamper the country’s husbandry industry and affect farmers.

He urged chairpeople of provinces and cities nationwide to take action to combat cattle and poultry smuggling.

Officials must regularly check and tighten control over the transport of animals in a bid to effectively prevent the spread of animal diseases.

Also, Tien said that the prime minister on Sunday signed a telegram ordering relevant agencies and localities to adopt drastic measures to battle animal diseases.  

Since the start of 2024, some 85 percent of all communes in Bac Kan Province have been hit by African swine fever, said Nong Van Nhat, vice-chairman of the province.

The country has detected 468 clusters of African swine fever in 41 cities and provinces since the beginning of the year, a 2.4-fold year-on-year increase, according to the Department of Animal Health.

Some 22,000 pigs have been culled, up 94 percent year on year.

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