Pig disease hits another Vietnamese province

HANOI, July 30 (Xinhua) -- "Blue ear" disease, or Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), has stricken Vietnam's southern Ba Ria Vung Tau province, raising the total number of affected localities in the country to 13, according to a Vietnamese veterinary agency on Wednesday.

From July 27-29, the disease sickened 160 pigs raised in the two districts of Long Dien and Tan Thanh, the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said, adding that all the affected animals have been culled.

Now, PRRS is striking 13 Vietnamese provinces, including Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Lao Cai and Ha Nam in the northern region, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Tri, Phu Yen, Quang Nam and Gia Lai in the central region, and Vinh Long, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang and Ba Ria VungTau in the southern region, the department said.

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.