July 26, 2007

China's blue ear disease spreads further since June

Blue-ear disease has infected 120,144 pigs in China since June, nearly three times the number infected during the first five months of 2007, according to data issued by the Ministry of Agriculture Wednesday (July 25).

The disease, which doesn't affect people but can be fatal for pigs, was one of the reasons behind the near 40 percent surge in China's pork prices this year.

Also known as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, it has infected a total of 165,144 pigs this year in 25 Chinese provinces and killed 45,546 of them as of Sunday (July 22), Li Jinxiang, an official at veterinarian bureau under the ministry, said during a media briefing.

Another 42,728 pigs were slaughtered as a result of the disease during the same period, he added.

The disease has eased somewhat in July compared with June, with 22,634 pigs being infected and 6,433 of them being killed from July 1 to Sunday, Li added. In June, 97,510 pigs were infected - the highest monthly total this year.

With the use of vaccines, the spread of the disease will ease in August, he said.

Chen Weisheng, vice chief at the livestock husbandry department under the ministry, said tight pork supply in the market will likely ease at the start of next year.

The disease has spread at a time when Beijing has also imposed a temporary import ban on select frozen-meat products from the US.