Vietnamese media reports indicate that over 100,000 pigs have been culled as African swine fever (ASF) spreads at an alarming rate across Vietnam. While efforts are underway to control the outbreak, people remain indifferent to preventative measures, with some even trading infected pork. The challenge is preventing the outbreak before it causes further damage to the livestock industry. The global spread of ASF has garnered significant attention, with reports suggesting that even top-ranked universities are conducting research on an ASF vaccine.
The African swine fever epidemic in Vietnam is still escalating
The African swine fever (ASF) epidemic in Vietnam is clearly escalating. According to a July Xinhua News Agency report, citing the local Vietnamese daily Nhan Dan (People), data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment indicates that since the beginning of 2025, 514 ASF outbreaks have occurred in 28 of 34 provinces, resulting in the deaths or forced culling of over 30,000 pigs nationwide.
According to the latest Vietnamese media reports, African swine fever has destroyed over 108,000 pigs so far this year, causing severe losses to pig farmers. On July 31 alone, outbreaks occurred in 10 communes across seven provinces, forcing the culling of over 2,300 pigs. Notably, the number of pigs culled in July increased nearly fourfold compared to June, demonstrating the rapid spread of the disease.
Currently, 30 of 34 provinces and cities across Vietnam have experienced outbreaks for 21 consecutive days. Only four locations have recorded no new outbreaks: Ha Tinh Province, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho City, and Ca Mau Province. Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang, Quang Tri, Phu Tho, and Quang Ngai provinces are hotspots experiencing a sudden surge in infections.
One reason African swine fever is so difficult to control is public insecurity. Many smallholders fail to vaccinate and even dump dead pigs into canals, polluting the environment and spreading the pathogen. Notably, in some communes ravaged by the outbreak, pork sales continued without any warning signs, increasing the risk of infection.
Furthermore, the national veterinary management system still has numerous shortcomings. A lack of human resources, particularly at the village and township levels, complicates epidemic prevention efforts. Unusual weather conditions, prolonged heavy rains, and the impact of Typhoon No. 3 have also led to recurring outbreaks and accelerated their spread.
According to statistics, there are currently over 6,700 small slaughterhouses nationwide, over 70% of which lack business licenses. This creates a significant vulnerability, making it difficult to control the supply of infected pork. Many establishments continue to openly slaughter and sell pork of unknown origin, potentially spreading the disease to the community.
Vietnam and the Philippines promote ASF vaccination
In Vietnam, despite the deployment of the African swine fever vaccine, only over one million pigs have been vaccinated to date, representing less than 3.5% of the total herd of 30 million pigs. While large farms are actively vaccinating and implementing biosecurity measures, many small households remain indifferent, even fearing the vaccine's effectiveness.
The Department of Agriculture and Environment is studying the possibility of making the African swine fever vaccine mandatory. At the same time, measures are being implemented to strengthen slaughter regulations and severely punish the trade of diseased pork.
According to the Philippine News Agency on July 29, the Department of Agriculture announced that the second batch of 150,000 doses of AVAC African swine fever vaccine from Vietnam could arrive within two weeks. Agriculture Secretary Laurel stated that this is part of the Philippines' plan to procure 500,000 doses of AVAC vaccine. Laurel expressed optimism that the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon approve the commercial use of the vaccine in the Philippines. To date, the first batch of 150,000 doses of AVAC vaccine have been distributed nationwide, and the vaccination campaign will be combined with strict border control measures. The Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Husbandry reported that the number of villages affected by African swine fever in the Philippines has decreased significantly following intervention measures, from 534 on October 2, 2024, to 28 on July 11, 2025.
The African swine fever epidemic in Vietnam is still escalating
The African swine fever (ASF) epidemic in Vietnam is clearly escalating. According to a July Xinhua News Agency report, citing the local Vietnamese daily Nhan Dan (People), data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment indicates that since the beginning of 2025, 514 ASF outbreaks have occurred in 28 of 34 provinces, resulting in the deaths or forced culling of over 30,000 pigs nationwide.
According to the latest Vietnamese media reports, African swine fever has destroyed over 108,000 pigs so far this year, causing severe losses to pig farmers. On July 31 alone, outbreaks occurred in 10 communes across seven provinces, forcing the culling of over 2,300 pigs. Notably, the number of pigs culled in July increased nearly fourfold compared to June, demonstrating the rapid spread of the disease.
Currently, 30 of 34 provinces and cities across Vietnam have experienced outbreaks for 21 consecutive days. Only four locations have recorded no new outbreaks: Ha Tinh Province, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho City, and Ca Mau Province. Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang, Quang Tri, Phu Tho, and Quang Ngai provinces are hotspots experiencing a sudden surge in infections.
One reason African swine fever is so difficult to control is public insecurity. Many smallholders fail to vaccinate and even dump dead pigs into canals, polluting the environment and spreading the pathogen. Notably, in some communes ravaged by the outbreak, pork sales continued without any warning signs, increasing the risk of infection.
Furthermore, the national veterinary management system still has numerous shortcomings. A lack of human resources, particularly at the village and township levels, complicates epidemic prevention efforts. Unusual weather conditions, prolonged heavy rains, and the impact of Typhoon No. 3 have also led to recurring outbreaks and accelerated their spread.
According to statistics, there are currently over 6,700 small slaughterhouses nationwide, over 70% of which lack business licenses. This creates a significant vulnerability, making it difficult to control the supply of infected pork. Many establishments continue to openly slaughter and sell pork of unknown origin, potentially spreading the disease to the community.
Vietnam and the Philippines promote ASF vaccination
In Vietnam, despite the deployment of the African swine fever vaccine, only over one million pigs have been vaccinated to date, representing less than 3.5% of the total herd of 30 million pigs. While large farms are actively vaccinating and implementing biosecurity measures, many small households remain indifferent, even fearing the vaccine's effectiveness.
The Department of Agriculture and Environment is studying the possibility of making the African swine fever vaccine mandatory. At the same time, measures are being implemented to strengthen slaughter regulations and severely punish the trade of diseased pork.
According to the Philippine News Agency on July 29, the Department of Agriculture announced that the second batch of 150,000 doses of AVAC African swine fever vaccine from Vietnam could arrive within two weeks. Agriculture Secretary Laurel stated that this is part of the Philippines' plan to procure 500,000 doses of AVAC vaccine. Laurel expressed optimism that the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon approve the commercial use of the vaccine in the Philippines. To date, the first batch of 150,000 doses of AVAC vaccine have been distributed nationwide, and the vaccination campaign will be combined with strict border control measures. The Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Husbandry reported that the number of villages affected by African swine fever in the Philippines has decreased significantly following intervention measures, from 534 on October 2, 2024, to 28 on July 11, 2025.