African swine fever spreads to another Vietnamese province

HANOI, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's northern Nam Dinh province has become the latest locality in the country hit by African swine fever (ASF), Vietnam News Agency reported on Sunday.

Earlier on Saturday, Vietnam's Department of Animal Health said the animal epidemic has been reported in 12 Vietnamese localities - the capital Hanoi, Hai Phong city, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Thai Binh, Ha Nam, Thanh Hoa, Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Thai Nguyen, Quang Ninh and Ninh Binh provinces, killing and leading to culling of 11,500 pigs.

ASF has affected 21 countries so far, and there is no approved vaccine against the disease, according to the World Organization for Animal Health.

ASF is a severe viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs which can be spread by live or dead pig and pork products, the organization said, noting that the ASF virus is harmless to humans, but causes hemorrhagic fever in pigs and wild boars that is almost fatal.