September 10, 2007

PRRS outbreaks still high in Vietnam

The risk of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) outbreaks in pigs is still high in Vietnam despite the slackening of the disease, local newspaper Pioneer reported Friday.

The PRRS vaccination for pigs has not been effective as the disease continue to hit many vaccinated animals the paper quoted Mai Van Hiep, vice head of the Department of Animal Health under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Now, the disease is hitting three provinces, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh in the central region, and Ba Ria Vung Tau in the southern region, said the department.

PRRS outbreaks has occurred in 13 cities and provinces across Vietnam since March, affecting 65,000 pigs and causing property losses worth hundreds of thousand US dollars.

PRRS was first recognized in the United States in the mid-1980s and is now present in most pig producing countries. The symptoms include reproductive failure, pneumonia and increased susceptibility to secondary bacterial infection.