January 11, 2008

Vietnam confirms blue-ear pig disease in southern province

Vietnam reported a Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) or blue-ear outbreak in the southern Bac Lieu province early this month.

The disease infected 14 pigs in Dong Hai district, the People newspaper cited the Department of Animal Health under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Veterinary agencies culled the pigs to prevent the virus from spreading.

Cao Duc Phat, agriculture minister, asked bordering provinces and concerned agencies on January 9 to intensify supervision on cross-border transport and trade of animals, especially with the upcoming Lunar New Year festival in February.     

PRRS was first detected in the US in the mid-1980s. The symptoms include reproductive failure, pneumonia and increased susceptibility to bacterial infection.