Swine disease epidemic kills 80.000 pigs in parts of China: govt*

BEIJING, Oct 24 (AFP) Oct 24, 2009

China's agriculture ministry has announced that an epidemic of swine
disease that killed more than 80,000 pigs in 2007 has emerged in parts
of the country.

An outbreak of pathogenic blue-eared pig disease, also known as porcine
reproductive and respiratory syndrome, has appeared in five areas of
China, the ministry said in a statement posted on the central government
website.

But the overall swine disease situation in China was stable, the
ministry said Friday, compared with 2007, when blue-eared pig illness
killed over 80,000 pigs, led to the culling of 235,000 others and set
pork prices rocketing.

"So far this year, the overall swine disease situation in China remains
stable, and in particular, the scope of highly-pathogenic blue-eared pig
disease has significantly shrunk," the statement said.

Until October 20, just under 3,300 pigs had died from the disease and
7,724 had been culled.