October 16, 2007

PRRS strikes anew in Vietnam

Blue ear disease or Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) has hit northern Hai Duong province in Vietnam, raising the disease's total casualties to three.

The disease has struck a number of pigs in some households in Thanh Ha district, according to local newspaper Pioneer on October 15.

The Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said local veterinary agencies have intensified the culling of infected pigs to prevent the disease from spreading.

Khanh Hoa and Ca Mau are the two other provinces hit by blue ear.

PRRS was first identified 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.