Xayaboury Province has declared an outbreak of African Swine Fever in Xienghone District.
According to a notice issued by the Xienghone District Office on 21 September, African Swine Fever (ASF) began spreading in the district in August, with the virus detected in eleven villages within the district.
The disease is spreading quickly across Xienghone district, affecting both wild and domestic pigs.
There is currently no effective treatment or vaccine available for ASF, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Prevention measures against the disease include the culling of affected animals and cleaning and disinfection. Tracing possible contact farms, and quarantine and preventative culling, together with transport bans on live pigs and pork products is also required.
Laos reported its first case of African Swine Fever in June last year, confirming outbreaks in villages in Salavanh province, leading to the deaths of 973 pigs.
Following the outbreak, China and Thailand both banned pork and pig product imports from Laos.
African swine flu is not known to transmit across species, meaning the disease is fatal to pigs but does not harm human beings.
