More cases of the pig-borne streptococcus suis infection were
reported over the weekend, but officials continue to insist they
are capable of controlling the outbreak.
Over the weekend, more cases of human infections were identified
in Hong Kong, Guangdong,
and two more cities in Sichuan,
but the Ministry of Health (MOH) has not disclosed exactly which
two cities in Sichuan. Places known to harbor the disease include
Ziyang, Neijiang and Chengdu.
By noon on Saturday, the death toll had reached 34, according to
the MOH.
By noon yesterday, 181 human cases had been reported in nine
regions of Sichuan, 18 more than last Friday.
The MOH said that prompt reporting by doctors has meant that
fewer people are dying from the disease.
On Sunday, no deaths were reported in Sichuan, and 17 patients
were released from hospital.
A human case of the infection was identified in Chao'an County
in Guangdong Province on July 27. The patient was released from
hospital over the weekend, China News Service reported.
In Hong Kong, the health authority also reported one human case,
which takes the total number of cases in the region to 11 since May
2004.
The patient, an 84-year-old man, was hospitalized on June 16. He
is in a stable condition.
A large quantity of vaccine, enough to inoculate 350,000 pigs,
was sent to Chengdu yesterday afternoon from south China's
Guangdong Province.
The producer of the vaccine, the Guangdong Yongshun Biology
Pharmaceutical Factory, said it will produce enough vaccine for 10
million pigs.
Sichuan's livestock trade has been hit hard by the outbreak.
In Ziyang, where human infections were first reported, people
have turned away from pork, choosing poultry and beef instead.
"I know the pork in markets now is safe, but I'm just following
others," one unidentified shopper said yesterday.
"It's hard to estimate the economic losses," An Weining,
director of the local animal husbandry department, said.
Authorities are also exploring ways to curb the deep-rooted
practice small-scale farmers have of butchering and eating animals
which are the victims of disease.
Experts say butchering and eating infected pork is the only way
for humans to catch the disease.
"We might educate youngsters at school and get them to pass on
the information to their families," the Party Secretary of Ziyang,
Zhong Mian, said last week.
According to An, his department will make streptococcus
inoculations mandatory in addition to the two existing compulsory
vaccinations against pig-borne bacteria and foot-and-mouth
disease.
According to officials, no compensation will be given to farmers
who now face difficulties selling their animals.
The government cannot afford the expense, Zhong said, adding
that normally 50,000 of around 5 million pigs raised in Ziyang die
from disease every year.
"If the government compensates farmers 1,000 yuan (US$120) for
each dead animal, it will be a huge expenditure every year," Zhong
said.
In Sichuan, which is known for animal husbandry, most farmers
earn at least part of their income from raising pigs.
For Wang Xingcheng, a farmer infected with the disease,
two-thirds of his family's income come from raising pigs, his
daughter said.
Low-income families, who pay a lot for piglets, animal
inoculations and feed, will suffer a huge loss if they are not
compensated for being unable to sell or eat their sick animals.
According to An, farmers in Ziyang sell around three-fifths of
their home-raised pigs for private slaughter or to small or
medium-sized food companies, who then trade the meat to markets.
"One-fifth are killed and consumed by farmers themselves," An said,
adding that another portion is sold to large companies engaged in
meat export.
(China Daily August 1, 2005)
