Avian flu and blue-ear pig diseases hit provinces

Provinces with blue-ear pig diseases are Bac Lieu and Long An in the south and Quang Nam and Quang Tri in the central region.

Bird flu has been reported in Quang Tri province's Phu Ninh District, resulting in 300 chickens being culled on February 24.

The lethal H5N1 bird flu virus also affected 350 chickens in northern mountainous Dien Bien Province earlier last week.

Health officials warn that people are likely to contract bird flu if they have close contact with sick poultry, including slaughtering and eating them.

The virus claimed 61 lives in Vietnam between 2003 to this year, with most of the deaths in 2003 and 2004, according to the World Health Organisation's latest report

Local animal health departments have co-operated with authorised agencies to destroy infected pigs, disinfect pig farms and nearby areas, vaccinate against blue-ear pig disease for healthy pigs, and advise pig breeders not to slaughter, transport and trade infected pigs.

Nguyen Thanh Nam, head of central Quang Nam province’s Animal Health Department, said a mobile team has been set up to inspect and deal with the slaughtering, transportation and trading of pigs and pig products around the clock.

It was estimated that more than 4,200 of 500,000 pigs in the province have contracted the disease, he said.

Meanwhile, 680 pigs were reported to have been infected with blue-ear pig disease within one week in central Quang Tri province.

Pigs of unclear origin raised by local breeders have been blamed for the outbreak.

The province has distributed 18,600 vaccines against blue-ear pig disease to bring the situation under control.

Scientists say blue ear disease does not infect humans but can reduce the immunity of pigs, creating favourable condition for dangerous bacteria to grow, including Streptococcus.

Streptococcus disease can spread from pigs to humans and cause septicemia and meningitis.