July 17, 2008

 

Pig disease spreads again in Vietnam's central provinces

The blue ear pig disease has hit central provinces in Vietnam, raising the total number of provinces affected by the disease to 10, a health agency announced Monday (July 14, 2008). 

 

More than 3,500 infected pigs must be destroyed in the three provinces of Quang Tri, Binh Dinh and Phu Yen, the Animal Health Department said.

 

Vietnam's health agencies said more than 3,400 pigs were infected with blue ear disease in Quang Tri alone.

 

However, observers said the real number is definitely higher as Hai Lang district residents had already sold thousands of their infected pigs to the market 2-3 weeks before local heath departments discovered the outbreak.

 

Nguyen Chi Phi, a representative from the Dien Khanh Cooperative, a farmer's co-op in Hai Lang District, said thousands of pigs from the cooperative's 400 household farms had begin suffering from high fevers, appetite loss, and bleeding about a month ago.

Some of them died and were buried while others were sold for sick pig prices between VND12,000 (US$0.7) and VND20,000 (US$1.2) per kilogramme, he said.

 

The district's animal health agencies only announced the outbreak last Sunday (July 13) after the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology confirmed the presence of the Lelstad virus in local pigs.

 

The institute had been sent samples from infected pigs by the district department.

 

The government aids farmers with VND25,000 (US$1.5) per kilogram in compensation for the pigs that must be destroyed due to the virus.

 

In the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, which supplies pigs to neighboring Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai Province, the disease is still a problem.

 

The 10 affected provinces are, from north to south, Lao Cai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Vinh Long, Soc Trang and Bac Lieu.