October 31, 2007

PRRS strikes Hanoi

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) recently hit in capital Hanoi, raising the total number of localities hit by the disease in Vietnam to four so far, according to a local veterinary agency on Tuesday (October 30).

The disease struck a pig farm in Gia Lam rural district, said the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The government has recently urged localities and relevant agencies to strongly disseminate public information about PRRS and implement measures, including strict inspection of the transport and slaughtering of non-quarantined animals, and disinfection of affected areas to curb the disease's transmission.

The disease is hitting four localities, namely Hanoi, northern Hai Duong province, central Khanh Hoa province, and southern Ca Mau province.

PRRS was first recognised in the United States in the mid-1980sand is now present in most pig producing countries. The symptoms include reproductive failure, pneumonia and increased susceptibility to secondary bacterial infection.