October 1, 2007

Vietnam's blue ear disease viral strains came from China, says USDA

The blue ear virus that killed pigs in Vietnam were similar to the strains discovered in China, according to the US Department of Agriculture after testing the viral samples sent by UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 

Chinese scientists also came to similar conclusions after they made field trips to affected localities in the country's Khanh Hoa Province at the request of Vietnamese government agencies.

At a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Bird Flu Prevention and Combat, the Veterinary Department reported new blue ear, also known as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) outbreaks in the northern province of Lang Son and the southern provinces of Khanh Hoa and Ca Mau.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong ordered the Veterinary Department to conduct further investigations into the outbreak at the Ca Mau provincial agricultural breeding centre to prevent it from spreading to other farms.

PRRS was first discovered in the US in the 1980s and now can be found in almost all pig-breeding countries. PRRS does not infect humans, says FAO.