VietNamNet Bridge – Seven months after the central province of Quang Nam removed the ban on slaughtering and transporting pigs because of blue ear epidemic, the disease returned to this province on April 3.

Blue ear epidemic was reported in Dai Phong commune, Dai Loc district with over 60 ill pigs, which have been culled already. Director of Quang Nam Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nguyen Thanh Quang, said they hadn’t received testing results yet so the province hadn’t announced the existence of blue ear epidemic, but local officials were discussing measures to prevent the disease.

Quang Nam is experienced in fighting against blue ear epidemic because the disease attacked 32,000 pigs in 16 districts in the province from late June to August 2007.

According to the Veterinary Agency, Quang Nam is the second province blue ear disease has returned to, after Ha Tinh. In Ha Tinh, the epidemic has spread to 10 communes of Thanh Ha, Cam Xuyen districts and Ha Tinh city with over 3,000 ill pigs.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat on April 1 issued a dispatch asking central and northern provinces to take measures to prevent the disease.

Blue ear doesn’t directly transmit to humans but eating meat of ill pigs can give people viruses like typhoid and streptococcus. Last July over 40 people got streptococcus and some died.

(Source: VNE)