May 12, 2008

Southern Vietnam raises alert on blue ear disease

Vietnam's southern regions are taking added precautions after blue ear pig disease has broken out in 10 northern and central provinces.

Regional Animal Health Agency deputy head, Nguyen Xuan Binh, said that infected pigs could have already been trucked to Ho Chi Minh city, Binh Phuoc and Dong Nai provinces.

Dong Nai Province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development director, Nguyen Van Giau, said the province would not have detected infected pigs, some of which could have been hidden in coaches.

Giau said thousands of industrial park workers, lured by bargain basement prices, could have unknowingly purchased infected pork.

HCMC Animal Health Department deputy head, Phan Xuan Thao, said after blue ear disease broke out early last month in Vietnam's central highlands province of Lam Dong, the number of pigs ferried from the province to HCMC increased between four and five times.