Vientiane: The Champasak Provincial Administration has mandated Pakse City and nine additional districts to enhance their surveillance and prevention strategies against African Swine Fever (ASF), following an official notice issued on September 17, 2026.
According to Lao News Agency, ASF is a highly contagious viral disease that affects both domestic and wild pigs. The disease first emerged in Laos in June 2019, in Tumlan District, Salavan Province. Recent outbreaks in June 2026 were reported in Xayaboury and Phongsaly provinces, subsequently spreading to Huaphanh, Xaysomboun, and Vientiane.
The current outbreak spans five provinces, 13 districts, and 81 villages. It has led to the death or culling of 11,396 pigs, resulting in significant economic losses and impacting livestock production. In response, the provincial directive calls for the Department of Agriculture and Environment, alongside municipal and district authorities, to bolster disease surveillance and deploy technical teams to affected regions.
Local authorities are tasked with promptly collecting and sending samples from sick or deceased pigs to the Animal Health Research Center. Temporary quarantine measures are to be enacted without waiting for laboratory confirmation, encompassing the isolation of sick animals, movement restrictions, safe carcass disposal, and a ban on the slaughter of sick pigs.
If ASF is confirmed, local authorities must form disease-response task forces and enforce control measures per Decree No. 228/Gov, while submitting daily updates to relevant authorities. The province has also halted the movement of live pigs and pork products between districts and provinces and has suspended imports of these items from abroad. Checkpoints and vehicle disinfection stations will be established at provincial entry points.
Authorities have been directed to elevate public awareness of ASF and require farmers, traders, and livestock businesses to enhance biosecurity measures, including farm fencing, visitor control, entrance disinfection, and regular sanitation practices. Furthermore, the provincial administration has cautioned that illegal movement or smuggling of livestock and pork products will incur fines or prosecution under the law.
These measures strive to contain the outbreak, prevent further transmission, and safeguard pig production and the livelihoods of farmers in Champasak Province.
