September 27, 2007

FAO: New virulent blue ear virus killed pigs in Vietnam

Blue ear virus in Vietnam is extremely toxic and this means ill pigs will suffer in higher temperatures as the virus spreads more quickly in warmer conditions, experts of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) said.

Vice Head of the Veterinary Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hoang Van Nam, said that FAO's analysis showed that 99 percent of blue ear viruses in Vietnam were similar to the highly toxic Chinese strain.

Previously, Chinese experts' testing results revealed that 100 percent of blue ear virus types in Vietnam (collected in the central province of Khanh Hoa) were similar to the highly toxic virus type in China. If pigs catch these viruses, up to 20 percent of ill pigs may die compared to only 2 percent for normal viruses.

According to the Central Veterinary Testing Centre, the genetic sources of the highly toxic viruses are from China but are unable to reveal how Vietnamese pigs caught the virus.

To prevent the virulent strain, FAO recommended vaccination combined with veterinary measures. China has the anti-toxin to combat the toxic blue ear virus, however, only three companies have this kind of serum and none of them have received licences to export the vaccine.

Blue ear disease has occurred in the provinces of Khanh Hoa, Ca Mau and Lang Son. This disease has badly hit Ca Mau which hit the agricultural breeding centre that provides swine to farmers in the province.