Published Date: 2007-07-25 23:00:25
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed disease, porcine - China (15)
Archive Number: 20070725.2394
UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE, PORCINE - CHINA (15)
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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Wed 25 Jul 2007
Source: Xinhua via CRI (China Radio International) [edited]
<http://english.cri.cn/2946/2007/07/25/168@253846.htm>
Blue-ear pig disease affected 22 634 pigs in 32 counties in 11
Chinese provinces between 1 and 22 Jul 2007, killing 6433 and
requiring the culling of 15 728, an official with the Chinese
Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said on Wednesday [25 Jul 2007].
The official told a news briefing that the number of cases had
declined from the previous month but did not provide any figures to
support his claim.
The MOA said that from 1 Jan to 22 Jul 2007, 165 144 pigs in 25
provinces were infected with the disease, of which 45 546 died and 42
728 were culled.
Li Jinxiang, an inspector with the Veterinary Bureau under the MOA,
said, compared with last month [June 2006], the numbers of
disease-hit counties, dead pigs and culled pigs were all declining
thanks to increased supplies of vaccines and financial aid from the MOA.
According to Li, about 150 million milliliters of the vaccine have
been used to curb the spread of the pig disease by 25 Jul 2007.
Another 250 million milliliters would be produced in August 2007. The
MOA has already allocated 10.8 million yuan [USD 1.43 million] to
finance affected areas.
On the current tight market supply of pigs and the price hike of
pork, Li said the supply was expected to increase early next year
[2008] and the pork price would remain at a relatively high level in
the near future
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
[The original Chinese text of the above (somewhat abridged) newswire
is available at
<http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2007-07-25/162113525996.shtml>.
The number of affected provinces (25) means that almost the entire
territory of China has been affected by highly pathogenic PRRS ("blue
ear disease"); China administers 22 provinces out of a total of 33
province level divisions. This underlines the potential of the
disease as a transboundary, highly infectious disease with potential
international impact.
China is known to be the world's leading pork producer, maintaining
about half of the world's pig population, which exceeds one billion
pigs. The mortality of 45 546 pigs out of a population of at least
500 million (and there are higher estimates) seems rather negligible
(less than 0.1 percent). If it is indeed a disease which causes the
reported decline in pig numbers to the extent of souring pork prices,
its morbidity and mortality figures are in need of verification.
An official OIE update will be helpful. - Mod.AS]