July 28, 2005

Human death toll for China's pig disease hits 27
 

There are now 27 human deaths from the pig-borne disease streptococcus suis in China's Sichuan province. A total of 131 infections have also been reported, according to the country's Ministry of Health.

As a precautionary measure, authorities have now stopped pork product exports from Ziyang and Neijiang in the Sichuan province. China is the world's biggest pork producer.

Though heavy doses of antibiotics are used to treat infected patients, the death toll from the disease continues to increase.

According to Chen Huanchun, an agricultural expert handling the outbreak, new infections can be prevented if people avoid slaughtering, processing or eating infected pigs, as the bacteria can only infect people through open wounds or if they digest infected meat.

The country's scientists are expected to produce in a week's time a vaccine to protect pigs from streptococcus suis.

In the meantime, the WHO has praised China for reacting speedily to the outbreak and for keeping the WHO updated.

The streptococcus suis bacteria is commonly found in pigs, with human infections rarely occurring. Symptoms of human infection include high fever, vomiting, and bleeding from blood vessels beneath the skin.