Outbreaks of blue-ear pig disease have recently been reported in five provinces, namely Long An, Tien Giang, Tay Ninh, Soc Trang and Quang Nam.

So far, more than 340 pigs in Trung Hoa and Tan Binh Thanh communes in Cho Gao district, Tien Giang province, have been culled, while more than 1,000 are infected and undergoing treatment.

Tien Giang’s animal health department provided local households with 30,000 doses of vaccine and more than 3,400 litres of chemicals to sterilize affected areas and prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

According to Lieu Trung Nguon, Deputy Director of the Long An provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, as of October 7 about 2,000 pigs in Hiep Thanh and Vinh Cong communes in Chau Thanh district are suffering from blue-ear disease.

Outbreaks continue to occur in Duc Hoa and Ben Luc districts, as well as Tan An city, he said.

MARD has asked the Government to grant 500,000 doses of the vaccine to help localities prevent the spread of the disease.

The Ministry also asked local households to strictly monitor their pigs and immediately report new outbreaks to relevant agencies so they can be dealt with promptly.