October 30, 2007

China says swine epidemic under control

China has brought under control a swine disease that has killed more than 80,000 pigs, led to the culling of 235,000 others and set pork prices skyrocketing, a top government official said Monday (October 29).

China vice minister of agriculture Gao Hongbin was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying blue-ear pig disease, also known as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, had been on the decline since it peaked in June.

As of October 25, the disease had infected 310,134 pigs in 26 Chinese provincial areas, of which 81,030 died, he said. A further 235,380 animals were culled, most of which were infected.

The disease has become a major health concern for the government and has been blamed for contributing to a sharp spike in the price of pork, a staple of the Chinese diet.

China has been carrying out a mass vaccination program and tightened supervision on the transportation, trading and slaughtering of pigs to combat the disease, said Gao.

State media reported Sunday that a fake vaccine had contributed to the spread of blue-ear pig disease. Beijing police arrested the producers of the phony vaccine, who will face criminal charges in central Hubei province.