Vietnam initially controls pig disease

14:43' 30/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam has initially put the blue ear disease on pigs under control, announced the Veterinary Department’s Vice Head Hoang Van Nam on April 29.
The Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) (known as blue ear disease) have so far found in 10 provinces, including northern Thai Nguyen, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh provinces, central Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Nam and Thua Thien-Hue provinces, and Central Highlands Lam Dong province.
To fight the epidemic more effectively, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Chinese Veterinary Administration to send experts to Vietnam in May.
The ministry has also signed with the Chinese side a contract to import 1 million doses of anti PRRS vaccine.
In addition, localities have been urged to tighten control over transportation of pigs and their products, as well as butchery.
Last week, northern mountainous Son La province discovered a new outbreak of bird flu, joining southern Can Tho Province in the list of the disease-stricken localities.