Published Date: 2006-09-24 00:00:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed disease, porcine - China (03): OIE
Archive Number: 20060924.2732

UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE, PORCINE - CHINA (03): OIE
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Date: 21 Sep 2006
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: OIE Disease Information Vol 19 - No.38 [edited]
<http://www.oie.int/eng/info/hebdo/AIS_78.HTM#Sec15>

Miscellaneous: "Swine High Fever Disease" In Pigs In China
-----------------------------------------------
Information received on 14 Sep 2006 from Mr Jia Youling, Director
General, Veterinary Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing:
Report date: 12 Sep 2006.
Since the end of June 2006, pigs have died of a disease characterized
by rising body temperature, redness of the skin and rapid breathing
in some parts of 6 provinces of China, namely Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui,
Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Hubei. Immediately after the occurrence of the
disease, the Ministry of Agriculture took appropriate prevention and
control measures, and the unnatural deaths of pigs have come to a
stop. By epidemiological investigation and laboratory testing of 582
samples of pathogenic material, we have discovered that this disease
is closely related to the mixed infection of classical swine fever,
porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome and porcine circovirus.
Of all the pathogenic samples, 263 samples (i.e. 45 percent) were
positive for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS);
167 samples (i.e. 29.2 percent) were positive for classical swine
fever (CSF); 130 samples (i.e. 22.3 percent) were positive for
porcine circovirus (PCV-2); 17 samples were positive for Aujeszky's
disease; 6 samples were positive for _Streptococcus suis_; one sample
was positive for pasteurellosis infection, and 47 samples were
positive for porcine contagious pleuropneumonia infection. Samples
that tested positive for PRRS, CFS, or PCV-2 account for 96.5 percent
of the total of the samples tested. We also tested 80 samples from
sick pigs for African swine fever with polymerase chain reaction as
recommended by the Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for
Terrestrial Animals. All of the results were negative, and the
possibility of African swine fever can therefore be ruled out.
A similar swine disease was also found in some southern provinces of
China in hot summers during the last few years. It was also called
swine high fever disease in some places. Several features concerning
the occurrence of the disease have been identified. Firstly, it is
very seasonal. It is found mainly from June to September. Secondly,
it only affects certain areas along the Yangtze River, mainly in the
provinces of Hunan, Hubei, Jangxi, Anhui and Jiagsu. The morbidity
and mortality rate of the disease have not shown a sudden or
unexpected increase so far. We are currently arranging for a
microbiologist to conduct further research. If there is any new
detection of the disease, it will be notified to the OIE immediately.
The status of classical swine fever and other animal diseases will
continue to be notified to the OIE.
Note by the OIE Animal Health Information Department: this is the
reply received from the Chinese veterinary authorities in response to
a request based on information that has been circulating regarding
high mortality observed in pigs in some parts of the People's
Republic of China.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[We will continue to refer to this disease as "undiagnosed" rather
than "high fever" disease until a more definitive diagnosis is
established, either as a syndrome resulting from mixed infections
with particular agents or when a definite single agent is identified.
Such questions of causality are not uncommon when a new disease
occurs; PRRS was originally referred to as "mystery disease." There
are many instances in the annals of infectious disease when a new
disease gets tagged with a temporary name until the cause is more
definitively ascertained.
A couple of questions, at least, remain. First, it would be
interesting to find out whether sick swine were tested for influenza,
H1N1, H1N2, or H3N2, which circulate in Asia, and also for H5N1 to
increase active surveillance for influenza. Secondly, none of the 3
agents, PRRS, CSF or PCV2, are known for having marked seasonal
distributions, yet a summer distribution seems to be one of the most
prominent features of the outbreaks described by this report. As
always, there are more questions than answers when something new
comes along.
It is very helpful to have official word of this from the Chinese
animal health authorities, and OIE again proves itself to be an
invaluable source of definitive animal health information. - Mod.PC]

See Also

Undiagnosed disease, porcine - China (02): RFI 20060908.2549
Undiagnosed disease, porcine - China (South), RFI 20060903.2508
Undiagnosed die-off, porcine - China (Jiangsu): RFI 20060412.1087
..............pc/msp/lm
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