Blue ear pig disease hits one more Vietnamese province
Pastor Dale Morgan
Blue ear pig disease hits one more Vietnamese province*
2008-06-11
HANOI, June 11 (Xinhua) -- "Blue ear" disease, or Porcine
Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), has hit Vietnam's southern
Bac Lieu province since early this month, leading to the forced culling
of 170 pigs, according to local newspaper Pioneer on Wednesday.
The disease, breaking out in Vinh Loi district on June 3, has
affected the pigs raised by 18 households in the district, the newspaper
quoted local veterinary bureaus as reporting.
Now, PRRS is hitting seven Vietnamese provinces, including ThaiBinh
and Thai Nguyen in the northern region, Thua Thien Hue and Lam Dong in
the central region, and Vinh Long, Binh Phuoc and Bac Lieu in the
southern one, according to Vietnam's Department of Animal Health under
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
PRRS was first recognized 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.