August 16, 2010

Vietnam minister pushes blue-ear disease control

Vietnam must contain the blue-ear disease as soon as possible because it has already spread to 22 cities and provinces nationwide, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said.

The Dong Thap and An Giang provinces of Mekong Delta are the two latest localities to be affected by the blue-ear disease, which has killed 120 pigs.

Meanwhile, Tien Giang province is the hardest hit area where the disease killed more than 20,000 pigs, out of the total affected number of 49,000 pigs, causing an estimated loss of VND400 billion (US$20.81 million).

The devastating blue-ear disease has also damaged other localities including Nghe An, Cao Bang, Soc Trang, Lao Cai, Long An, Binh Duong, Bac Lieu,Quang Nam, Dong Nai, Binh Phuoc, Danang, Vinh Long, Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Tay Ninh and Ba Ria Vung Tau.