One month after blue-ear disease was found again in Hai Duong, the highly infectious disease has spread to nine northern provinces affecting up to 33,000 pigs, the Veterinary Agency reported.

The agency said at an urgent meeting on April 26 that the disease attacked 125 communes of 19 districts with total number of pigs being destroyed hitting 10,000 heads.

The affected provinces included Hai Duong, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, Haiphong, Hanoi and Nam Dinh in the north and Quang Nam in the central region.

Hai Duong is the hardest hit area were the disease spread to 45 communes of five districts, according to reports.

The Veterinary Agency also reported an outbreak of blue-ear disease in the Danang area, but expressed hope it can be contained. 

Hoang Van Nam, the agency's acting director, explained that blue-ear disease breaks out in a three-year cycle. This year's epidemic is similar to one seen in 2007. The virus type is also the same, the North American type.

"Abnormal weather this year has facilitated the development of this disease and the ratio of dead pigs is high.  Less than 60% of the pig population is protected by vaccination," Nam added.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat went to Hai Duong to oversee blue-ear control activities. Since the disease broke out, the ministry has instructed local offices to subsidise owners of culled pigs up to VND25,000/kg (US$1.32/kg), or roughly 70% of its market value if healthy.