Police intercept truck carrying 100 diseased pigs in central Vietnam

At 1:00 pm last Saturday, authorities stopped a truck transporting pigs through the ward.

The vehicle was driven by Vu Van Bien, a resident of Hung Yen Province in the northern region.

The driver failed to present any quarantine or veterinary inspection documents required for transporting livestock.

Suspecting irregularities, veterinary officials collected samples from the animals for testing.

Laboratory results later confirmed that all 100 pigs on the truck tested positive for African swine fever, a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs.

Authorities then culled the infected animals and disinfected the surrounding area to prevent the virus from spreading into the environment or nearby livestock farms.

During questioning, Bien told authorities he had been hired to transport the pigs but he was not informed of their origin or provided with the necessary documentation.

He said payment for the delivery was to be made only after he completed the trip to a location specified through navigation directions.

After authorities discovered the shipment, the driver tried to reach the person who had hired him, but could not get through.

Authorities are continuing to investigate where the infected pigs came from and to determine who may be responsible.

Duong Viet Phuong Tuan, deputy head of the Quang Tri Sub-Department of Animal Health, said monitoring efforts have been stepped up across the province to prevent further African swine fever outbreaks.