Blue-ear outbreaks affect 12,000 pigs in 11 provinces
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Vets inject pigs with blue-ear disease preventive medicine in Bac Lieu Province. The disease has spread to pigs in 11 provinces. — VNA/VNS Photo Huynh Su |
HCM CITY — Blue-ear pig disease has been reported in 11 provinces nationwide, according to the Department of Animal Health.
They include the provinces of Tien Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Long An, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Nghe An, Cao Bang, Lao Cai, Quang Tri and Quang Nam.
Cao Van Hoa, deputy head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Tien Giang Province, said the disease had spread in eight of the province's districts.
As of Thursday, more than 12,000 pigs had been infected, the provincial Division of Animal Health said. Of that total, 4,000 pigs were destroyed and another 8,000 being treated.
The provincial People's Committee said the outbreaks first occurred in Chau Thanh District and My Tho City on July 1.
The committee offered compensation to farmers for destroying the affected pigs at a price higher than the normal selling price.
This was done to prevent farmers from selling the diseased pigs. In Dong Nai Province, the local People's Committee also said the disease had broken out in Vinh Cuu District's Vinh Tan Commune.
The provincial Division of Animal Health reported that it had sprayed chemicals and destroyed 154 pigs.
Tran Van Quang, the division's deputy head, said a quarantine would be set up to stop any trucks carrying pigs.
Long An outbreak
In Long An Province, the local Division of Animal Health asked the People's Committee to inform the public about the outbreak of the disease in Tan An City's Ward 5 and Chau Thanh District's Phu Ngai Tri Commune.
Nearly 300 pigs have contracted blue-ear disease, according to Dinh Van The, the division's head.
In Quang Nam Province, the first infected pig was discovered on July 25, and later the disease spread throughout Dien Ban District.
According to the district's animal health office, around 100 pigs had been destroyed as of Thursday.
Than Duc Suu, deputy head of the district People's Committee, said the district asked police and market management officials to help in disease prevention.
The district has also provided chemicals and tools to spray, but has yet to develop policies to help farmers whose pigs have been infected with the disease.
HCM City has reported no blue-ear pig cases but the city is closely monitoring activities at slaughterhouses and sales at markets.
Nguyen Phuoc Trung, deputy head of the city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, war-ned that consumers should buy pork with a quarantine seal from the Division of Animal Health.
Phan Xuan Thao, head of the division, said the city was vulnerable to an outbreak because of the potential spread from neighbouring provinces. — VNS