The number of pigs infected and killed by the highly pathogenic
blue-ear pig disease in China has declined markedly thanks to a
domestically-developed vaccine, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA)
said Wednesday.
In the year to Oct. 25, 992,000 pigs died from the disease while
another 310,000 pigs survived infection. By contrast, 992,000 pigs
were killed for the whole of last year out of 3.79 million that
contracted the disease, said an MOA statement.
A total of 3,608 infected pigs were detected from Oct. 1 to 25,
down 87 percent from September, in 29 outbreaks, down 65 percent.
The deaths amounted to 710, a drop of 91 percent from the previous
month.
Almost one billion milliliters of vaccine has been distributed
across the country, with few adverse reactions reported.
All vaccines put to market have passed compulsory safety tests.
None of the pig farms where healthy pigs were vaccinated reported
infections, said the statement.
Laboratory research and spot surveys revealed the vaccine,
jointly developed by the Chinese Center for Animal Disease Control
and Prevention and the China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control,
was "safe, effective and has a protection rate of 88.2 percent", it
said.
Vaccines with a protection rate lower than 80 percent were
banned, it said.
Late last month, Chinese police arrested the producers of fake
vaccines that had allegedly caused an outbreak of the disease, also
known as as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, in
central Hubei Province, which led to losses of almost one million
yuan (US$133,690).
(Xinhua News Agency November 8, 2007)