China will increase the monthly production of blue-ear pig
disease vaccine to 300 million milliliters in September from 250
million milliliters to meet nationwide demand, said an official
with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on Saturday.
The epidemic across the country had been under initial control
by effective vaccines and prevention measures, said Vice
Agriculture Minister Yin Chengjie.
He said the epidemic situation in regions along the Yangtze
River had been relatively more serious because the disease is
inducible under wet and warm conditions and the ministry had
allocated sufficient vaccines to these areas.
By the end of August, more than 100 million pigs had been
immunized, but the disease control situation remained grim because
the breeding methods in some regions lagged behind other regions
and long-distance pig deliveries were adding to the hidden trouble,
he said.
The vice minister called on local veterinarians to step up
disease control efforts and continue to carry out research on the
disease. He also required transportation authorities to keep close
watch on pig deliveries to prevent spread of the disease.
In July, about 47,000 pigs were infected by blue-ear pig
disease, down 51.5 percent from the previous month. By Aug. 22, the
disease had infected 257,000 pigs in 26 Chinese provinces, of which
68,000 died and 175,000 were destroyed, according to the MOA.
The highly pathogenic disease, also known as Porcine
Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, can be fatal for pigs, but
the vaccinated pigs will no longer be infected by the disease.
(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2007)