Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosts an online conference on measures to prevent African swine fever in Hanoi on March 4, 2019.

During an online conference on Monday, Mr. Phuc urged officials at all levels to publicize the epidemic’s danger and ways to prevent it.

“The public must be well informed of the epidemic but we should reassure people and encourage them to continue to raise pigs and not boycott fresh pork. If the message is not clearly communicated, the pork industry could be harmed,” Mr. Phuc said.

Vietnam has 2.5 million pig-raising households and pork accounts for 70 percent of meat consumption in the country.