HANOI, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam has detected African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks in the two northern provinces of Thai Binh and Hung Yen, its Department of Animal Health said on Tuesday.

AFS virus was discovered in Hung Yens Hung Yen city and Yen My district, and Thai Binhs Hung Ha district, Vietnam News Agency quoted the departments director Pham Van Dong as saying on Tuesday.

He said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has directed the culling of all infected pigs and the crucial conduction of a cleaning process in the hotspots and high-risk locations.

The transport, slaughtering, and distribution of pork from AFS-hit areas are under tight monitoring by competent agencies, while mass examinations of all pig farms in the areas will be launched.

According to the World Organization for Animal Health, ASF is a severe viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs; and it can be spread by live or dead pigs, domestic or wild, and pork products. Now, there is no approved vaccine against ASF.

ASF virus does not affect humans but causes haemorrhagic fever in pigs and wild boars that is almost always fatal.