Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus, bird flu returns

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus, bird flu returns

Another report from last week<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=numberdate vAlign=top align=left bgColor=#3a84fd height=16>Tuesday , Jul 17, 2007, Posted at: 12:55(GMT+7)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thanh vAlign=top align=left>Blue Ear Spreads in Quang Nam</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tintop_text vAlign=top align=left>Some 20,000 pigs have died of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) also called blue ear disease in the central province of Quang Nam, announced the province?s animal health department.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=1 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=Image>A herd of infected pigs become weak and thin</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>​

Furthermore, thousands of pigs are being infected with the disease daily and the quick spread of the epidemic worries local authorities and causes concerns among breeders.
Quang Nam?s authorities are crying out for help as the rampant disease has already wiped out many herds in the province.
The central province of Quang Nam is the sixth to be affected by the disease to date.
Due to the quick and worrisome spread of the disease, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Cao Duc Phat yesterday inspected the province.
After visiting some of the affected farms, the minister said at a meeting with the provincial administration that local authorities were too late in announcing the disease, veterinary forces have been lax in their work and breeders have not been provided with enough understanding of the disease or appropriate treatment.
Mr. Phat called for the mobilization of all available resources to curb the outbreak.
The local government must step up measures against the disease and implement a sterilization program as the minister requested.

Those in charge of controlling the disease must prevent the spread from infected districts to other districts.
Moreover, breeders who have lost their pigs to the epidemic are being forced to slaughter their entire herd; the government will provide them with VND10,000 for each kilo of meat lost.
Some 250,000 doses of vaccine are earmarked for Quang Nam this week, said Bui Quang Anh, head of the Department of Animal Health.
Worryingly, the virus is mutating and making the task of control and prevention much more difficult.
In 2006, two million pigs died from PRRS in China.:tiphat: http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/National/2007/7/56957/
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[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus, bird flu returns

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus, bird flu returns

Bird flu, pig disease calls for urgent actions
24/07/2007 -- 10:20 PM
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Ha Noi (VNA) ? The country still has four provinces affected by bird flu and outbreaks are difficult to anticipate, according to the nation?s chief veterinary.

At a National Bird Flu Control Steering Committee?s meeting on July 24, Bui Quang Anh, Director of the Veterinary Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, named the four provinces as Dien Bien, Ninh Binh in the north, Quang Binh in the centre and Dong Thap in the Mekong Delta.

Also on July 24, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat sent an urgent message to the People?s Committees of central-run cities and provinces, urging them to promptly take measures against the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) in pigs or the ?blue-ear? disease.

The minister warned of the high risk of the disease spreading as it is difficult to control pig transportation and trading while breeders? awareness on the disease is low as it is new to Viet Nam.

Therefore, cities and provinces were required to strictly follow the Prime Minister?s guidance on spreading information regarding the disease?s symptoms, encouraging breeders to sterilise their farms and vaccinate their pigs as well as advising them against selling ill pigs or throwing away dead pigs.

Minister Phat also asked affected areas to cull seriously ill pigs, conduct sterilisation and ban pig transportation and trade in these areas until they are free from the disease.
He required unaffected localities to set up stations to check the transportation of pigs and pork products in order to curb the spread of the disease:tiphat:</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/205793/Default.aspx</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=numberdate vAlign=top align=left bgColor=#3a84fd height=16>Wednesday, Jul 25, 2007, Posted at: 16:43(GMT+7)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thanh vAlign=top align=left>Vet Claims Cure for Pig Disease</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tintop_text vAlign=top align=left>A government veterinarian in Binh Trieu commune, Quang Nam province says he has successfully treated pigs with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus, the disease also called blue ear.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=1 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=Image>Mr. Doan Quoc Thanh who claims to be able to cure blue ear disease in pigs</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>​

Doan Quoc Thanh, head of Binh Trieu?s Animal Health Office, says it only takes four to seven days for a pig to recover as long as the disease is not too advanced.

Mr. Thanh?s research into blue ear began after the disease struck Binh Trieu and killed hundreds of pigs in only one day.

With 30 years of experience in veterinary practice, Mr. Thanh began to experiment on three of his own pigs that were infected with blue ear.

By observing the sick pigs, he discovered that their symptoms such as high fever, loss of appetite and sticky droppings closely resembled those of dry cholera.

He decided to treat the pigs with a combination of ODC Tylo D, Anagin, Vitamin C2000 and other medicines.

After several days, the pigs gradually showed signs of recovery, their fever subsided, their appetites returned and their droppings became normal.

Having made excellent progress, Mr. Thanh took a risk by switching to another treatment using Lincoseytin, Glucoza and various medicines for intestinal disorders. This too proved successful, particularly in restoring the pigs? appetite.

He then began treating 200 stricken pigs belonging to local farmers. To his great pleasure and slight surprise, 180 pigs were cured of blue ear. Only a score failed to respond, probably because the disease was too advanced in them.

Mr. Thanh has shown his new treatment to experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, who have given it their seal of approval.

To date Mr. Thanh and six of his colleagues have successfully treated 487 pigs in and around Binh Trieu.

Another bonus of his treatment is that it is very cheap, between VND30,000 and VND120,000 per sick pig.

Blue ear first appeared in the 1970s in China, where it killed more than two million pigs.

The Blue Ear epidemic has continued to spread in the central provinces of Viet Nam leaving more than 27,000 pigs infected.:tiphat:

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http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Health/2007/7/57121/

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left height=35>Central Vietnam pig epidemic worsening
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left width="100%" colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=20 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=left colSpan=2>

</TD><TD align=left width=5></TD></TR><TR><TD class=cap align=left colSpan=2></TD><TD align=left width=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Blue ear disease, which broke out in Vietnam?s central Quang Nam province last month and has infected over 27,000 pigs there, is worsening in some neighboring areas due to illicit transport of the animals. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left>

Known in medical parlance as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), the disease was also reported from Danang city and Quang Ngai and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.
In Quang Nam, while it is somewhat easing off, the sales of pigs and pork has continued despite a ban and many ill pigs have been illegally transported to the neighboring provinces.
Thus, in Danang, more infected animals are being reported in Hoa Vang and Cam Le districts. The local veterinary agencies are culling all the infected pigs.
Quang Ngai province has reported a large number of new cases of PRRS whose symptoms include high fever, respiratory prob­lems, and constipation and diarrhea in pigs.
Thua Thien-Hue province has, in the last few days, reported that over 1,400 pigs in three communes - Phu My in Phu Vang district, and Thuy Thanh and Thuy Van in Huong Thuy district ? are sick but has not announced the cause yet.
Over 1,100 had recovered, Nguyen Van Hung, head of the province?s veterinary department, reported to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong Wednesday.
Bong, who is leading a ministry delegation to survey the affected areas, instructed the provincial government to cull the 300 pigs still sick and ban the transportation of ill pigs out of the three communes and their sale.
His ministry has asked for VND10 billion ($620,000) to fight the epidemic in Quang Nam and redevelop pig farming after stamping out the disease.
On Tuesday Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat sent a message to central-run cities and provinces to promptly act against blue ear disease.

He warned of the high risk of the disease spreading since it was difficult to check the transport and sales of pigs and farmers? awareness of the disease was still poor since it was new to Vietnam.

He urged farmers to sterilize their farms and vaccinate their pigs and not to sell infected pigs or throw away dead ones.

Phat also told unaffected areas to set up checkpoints to stop the transport of diseased pigs and pork products to prevent the spread of the disease.
PRRS in pigs is caused by the Lelstad virus, and causes blueing of the ears, loss of appetite, high fever, miscarriage and premature delivery among sows, coughing and respiratory problems, and death in extreme cases.
More bird flu
Bird flu continued to spread in the northern Dien Bien province and southern Dong Thap province, the central Animal Health Department said.
Tests on dead ducks and chickens in Nam Thanh and Him Lam wards of Dien Bien and Lai Vung district of Dong Thap had confirmed they had had the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.
Bird flu had also killed 220 ducks in the central province of Quang Binh last week.
Quang Binh had been officially declared bird flu-free until a new outbreak infected a flock of 3,000 ducks in Le Thuy district.
The health ministry declares a province bird flu-free after it goes 21 consecutive days without a new case.
Two southern provinces have reported new H5N1 cases since the beginning of this month.
Ca Mau was briefly in the disease?s grip this month but has since broken free.
Vietnam has carried out free vaccinations on all poultry since 2005 with imported vac­cines worth about VND100 billion ($6.2 million). But bird flu outbreaks have still recurred.
Since the beginning of this year, 153.5 million fowls have been vaccinated.:tiphat: http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy/?catid=8&newsid=30364​

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[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

Viet Nam concerned about bird flu, pig disease control
25/07/2007 -- 9:05 PM
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Ha Noi (VNA) - The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has announced that it will import 200 million doses of avian flu vaccines from now to the end of this year in a concerted effort to keep a lid on the disease.

The ministry hopes to aid localities to continue vaccinating their poultry flocks against the disease, which is still ravaging at the country's four provinces, according to the nation's bird flu watchdog.

The four localities still infected bird flu are Dien Bien, Ninh Binh in the north, Quang Binh in the centre and Dong Thap in the Mekong Delta.

On the fight against the pig disease, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) (the ?blue-ear? disease), the ministry said it is sourcing suppliers of vaccine in a bid to contain a spread of the disease.

According to To Long Thanh, Vice Director of the Central Veterinary Diagnosis Centre, two Chinese companies are producing vaccine against PRRS, but to date have only supplied the doses within China.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat on July 24 pointed to the high risk of PRRS spreading throughout the country and warned that pig farmers' awareness of the disease was still unsatisfactorily uninformed. He went on to call on the immediate culling of seriously ill pigs, the implementation of sterilisation programmes and the banning of pig transportation and trade in areas affected by the disease. A further recommendation from the minister included requiring unaffected localities to set up stations to check the transportation of pigs and pork products in order to curb the spread of the disease.-:tiphat: </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/205934/Default.aspx</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[vinny]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

what are the chances of this turning into something more nasty for all of us........?

 

[Niko]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

what are the chances of this turning into something more nasty for all of us........?

Don't know.

Where is Mingus?

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=numberdate vAlign=top align=left bgColor=#3a84fd height=16>Thursday , Jul 26, 2007, Posted at: 10:24(GMT+7)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thanh vAlign=top align=left>Disease Threatens Nation?s Pigs</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tintop_text vAlign=top align=left>Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus, also called blue ear, is spreading among the pigs in central Viet Nam, and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat has responded by ordering that all infected be quarantined, public awareness of the disease be raised, and farmers taught how to detect the symptoms.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=1 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=Image>Mr. Phat ( wearing glasses) inspects diseased pigs in Thang Binh District in Quang Nam province </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>​

With the outbreaks in Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Da Nang threatening the entire country, Minister Cao Duc Phat yesterday dispatched his deputy Bui Ba Bong and Department of Animal Health chief Bui Quang Anh to the central region.
Mr. Phat explained that few pig farmers knew about blue ear and how quickly it could spread, which was why the disease was gaining ground so quickly.
The lack of public awareness of blue ear and the occasional smuggling of infected pigs also contributed.
The minister has asked Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung for VND10 billion to help the infected provinces and give farmers VND10, 000 per kilo of lost meat by way of compensation.
Yesterday Deputy Minister Bui Ba Bong was shown more than 27,000 infected pigs in Quang Nam and Da Nang.
He ordered a close watch on pig transportation and sales outlets, and told the public to be wary when shopping for pork.:tiphat:
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/National/2007/7/57146/

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ds vAlign=top width=435 height=0>Last Updated: <!--2007-07-26 21:31:56 todaysDate = Date(07, 07, 26, 21, 31, 56); --><SCRIPT language=JavaScript> dayarray = new Array("Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday","Saturday"); montharray = new Array("January", "February", "March", "April","May", "June", "July", "August", "September", "October", "November", "December"); todaysDate = new Date("July 26, 2007 21:31:56"); document.write(dayarray[todaysDate.getDay()] + ", " + montharray[todaysDate.getMonth()] + " " + todaysDate.getDate() + ", "); //if (todaysDate.getYear() < 1000){ //document.write(todaysDate.getYear() + 2000); //} else { document.write(todaysDate.getFullYear()); //} document.write(" 21:31:56 Vietnam (GMT+07)"); </SCRIPT>Thursday, July 26, 2007 21:31:56 Vietnam (GMT+07) </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top><!--This begin of the news --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="100%" colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="50%" height=30></TD><TD width="50%">http://www.thanhniennews.com/print.php?catid=8&newsid=30408</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left height=35>Pig disease spreading in humans: health institute
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left width="100%" colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=20 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=left colSpan=2>

</TD><TD align=left width=5></TD></TR><TR><TD class=cap align=left colSpan=2></TD><TD align=left width=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>At least four more Vietnamese have caught a rare porcine disease that has infected 26 people in the country this year, reported the Vietnam Institute of Tropical and Contagious Diseases Thursday. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left>

Director of the institute Dr. Nguyen Duc Hien said most of the patients were hospitalized in severe condition nine or ten days after being infected with the pig-borne Streptococcus suis bacteria, which has killed two of the 26 so far.
Most of the victims slaughter pigs or process and sell pork for a living, while several caught the disease by eating pig?s blood food, which is quite common in the Vietnamese countryside.
Also on Thursday, Deputy Head of the Health Ministry?s Health Protection Department Nguyen Van Binh said his organization was working with a team from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to study how the porcine disease is transmitted to humans.
Streptococcus suis is a bacterium found in many parts of the world where pigs are raised. It is most prevalent in domesticated pigs, but is also occasionally found in wild boars, horses, dogs, cats and birds.
The sickness usually manifests high fever, nausea and vomiting, followed by meningitis, hemorrhages, toxic shock and even comas in severe cases.
Additionally, some 30,000 pigs in Vietnam have been reportedly infected with blue ear disease (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome), which causes high fever, respiratory prob­lems as well as constipation and diarrhea.​

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http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy/?catid=8&newsid=30408

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

STREPTOCOCCUS SUIS, HUMAN, PORCINE AND PORCINE REPRODUCTIVE AND
RESPIRATORY SYNDROME - VIET NAM
Date: Tue 24 Jul 2007
Source: ChinaView, Xinhua News Agency report [edited]
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/24/content_6424527.htm>


A pig disease in Viet Nam that has sickened 42 people and killed 2
has the government calling for speedier investigations and urgent
measures to control the bacteria, the nation's agriculture minister said.

Cao Duc Phat told health officials at a meeting that initial
assessments showed the disease caused by _Streptococcus suis_
bacteria had spread in the country, the Viet Nam Agriculture
newspaper reported on Tuesday [24 Jul 2007].

"Since the disease involving _Streptococcus suis_ bacteria is
directly related to human health and the development of the husbandry
sector, we need to act urgently, without any delay," Phat was quoted
as saying at the Monday [23 Jul 2007] meeting.

The bacteria came to light recently in the country of 85 million
people after 22 people in the northern provinces became infected,
followed by 20 in the southern region.

Animal health authorities nationwide should increase disease
surveillance, work out treatment measures for pigs, and publish
information to raise public awareness, Phat said.

He urged officials to check if there were any links between the
porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus, also
known as Lelystad virus that has infected more than 27 000 pigs in
the central region, and the _Streptococcus suis_ bacteria.

People can be infected after coming into direct contact either by
hand or eating pork from a sick pig, Nguyen Hong Ha, deputy head of
the National Institute for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, said in
a Voice of Viet Nam radio broadcast.

The bacteria causes rapid internal haemorrhage and high fever and can
[progress to] meningitis, septicaemia, and endocarditis in the next
stage leading to death or deafness if the victim survives.

On Monday [23 Jul 2007], Minister Phat said the PRRS, also known as
"blue ear disease," had been spreading fast in the central provinces
of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Danang city partly because officials
were unable to stop trading and transport of pigs.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-MBDS
<promed-mbds@promedmail.org

[The article above brings the number of human infections with _S.
suis_ in Viet Nam to 42, adding 20 cases in the south to the 22
cases, with 2 mortalities, described earlier from the north
(ProMED-mail 20070721.2345).

As to the question raised by Viet Nam's Minister of Agriculture on
possible links between pig-origin _S. suis_ infections in humans and
PRRS (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome) in pigs:

In its initial report on the emerging porcine disease (which later,
in 2007, was attributed to PRRS), sent to the OIE (World Organization
for Animal Health) on 14 Sep 2006 (see ProMED-mail 20060924.2732),
China included data on the results obtained from 582 collected
samples from affected pigs. While most of them were positive for
PRRS, CSF (classical swine fever), and PCV-2 (porcine circovirus),
(only) 6 samples were found positive for _Streptococcus suis_. This
is a rather low infection rate, since _S. suis_ is known to be
carried asymptomatically by many pigs (see
<http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/streptococcosis.pdf>).

However, more virulent strains can cause serious disease in pigs,
mainly in suckling pigs (polyarthritis or peracute meningitis and
septicemia) and in recently weaned and growing pigs (meningitis, with
high mortality rates). In addition, _S. suis_ sometimes causes
pneumonia, endocarditis, myocarditis, or abortions in adult pigs.

PRRS virus is known to have immunosuppressive effect, which might
enhance clinical manifestation of latent _S. suis_ infections (in
pigs). There is also some experimental evidence of a possible link
between PRRS virus and _S. suis_: the incidence of isolation of _S.
suis_ and PRRSV was found to be higher in dually inoculated pigs.
PRRSV-induced suppression of pulmonary intravascular macrophage
function was suggested as a possible explanation for the
PRRSV-associated increased susceptibility to _S. suis_ infection (see
reference below).

Numerous cases of _S. suis_ in humans have been reported from China
during the 2nd half of 2005, killing at least 38 people (see
ProMED-mail 20060411.1082). It is not known if PRRS was, at that
time, as prevalent in China as it is now. Since mid-2006, a
wide-scale epizootic of highly pathogenic PRRS has been reportedly
spreading throughout China. A new _S. suis_ case, affecting a
49-year-old male living in Bao'an District of Shenzhen City, was
reported by Xinhuanet news agency yesterday (25 Jul 2007; article (in
Chinese) available at
<http://news.sina.com.cn/h/2007-07-25/194113526531.shtml>).

Reference
Thanawongnuwech R, Brown GB, Halbur PG, Roth JA, Royer RL, Thacker
BJ: Pathogenesis of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome
virus-induced increase in susceptibility to _Streptococcus suis_
infection. Vet Pathol. 2000 Mar; 37(2): 143-52 (full article available at
<http://www.vetpathology.org/cgi/content/full/37/2/143>).

Data from China and Viet Nam on the possible impact of PRRS upon _S.
suis_ in pigs (and, consequently, upon public health), or the denial
of such impact, will be helpful. - Mods.AS/MPP

A map of Viet Nam, with provinces, is available at
<http://www.angelfire.com/co/hongnam/vnmap.html>. - CopyEd.MJ]:tiphat: http://www.promedmail.org/pls/prome..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,38525

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

Pig bacterium afflicts four more people in Vietnam
Fri 27 Jul 2007 6:32:38 BST
HANOI, July 27 (Reuters) - A potentially deadly pig bacteria infected four more people in northern Vietnam this week, bringing the number of humans affected to 46 this year, state media reported on Friday.

The four were taken to a Hanoi hospital on Thursday with high fever, headache and vomiting. Tests showed they had meningitis caused by the streptococcus suis bacteria, the Nhan Dan (People) newspaper quoted doctors as saying.

They said the sickest patient had eaten pig blood pudding, a popular dish in rural areas despite its high bacterial content.

Doctors say the bacterium, which has killed two people this year, can be transmitted to humans by touch, in meat or via air-borne particles.

It can cause rapid internal haemorrhaging and high fever leading to meningitis, septicaemia and swelling of the heart valves.:tiphat:
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?rpc=401&storyId=HAN164148

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left height=35>US hospital ship leaves Vietnam after treating poor
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left width="100%" colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=20 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=left colSpan=2>

</TD><TD align=left width=5></TD></TR><TR><TD class=cap align=left colSpan=2></TD><TD align=left width=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The US hospital ship Peleliu departed Vietnam?s central Danang city Thursday, wrapping up a ten-day visit during which it provided free treatment to underprivileged people. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left>

The vessel?s 160-strong medical staff from the US, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Canada, India, and Malaysia provided dental services and medical checkups and offered free drugs to 15,000 people.
The ship also dispatched a team of volunteers to carry out repairs and construction projects at local health centers, orphanages, and schools.
Its medical staff interacted with their Vietnamese counterparts from the Danang Hospital, the Health Prevention Center, the Dermatology Hospital, and the Danang Eye Hospital.
Equipped with four operation rooms, 15 intensive care beds, and 400 normal beds, the ship has participated in many humanitarian missions in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Peleliu was next headed for other Asian countries, Kenneth J. Fairfax, the American consul in Ho Chi Minh City, said.:tiphat: http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy/?catid=8&newsid=30421​

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[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

Four more Vietnamese hospitalised with pig disease
Posted: 27 July 2007 2003 hrs
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HANOI: Four more people have been admitted to a Vietnamese hospital with a bacterial infection from diseased pigs that has led to two confirmed human deaths, a health official said Friday.

"Three men and one woman were admitted late last week and early this week in our hospital with a bacterial infection from diseased pigs," said Nguyen Hong Ha, deputy director of the Tropical Diseases Institute in Hanoi.

"They had high fevers, headaches and vomiting ... After tests, we concluded that all four showed symptoms of the meningitis form of the disease," he said, adding that their lives were not considered to be in danger.

The bacterial disease, streptococcus suis, infects people who handle raw meat or eat undercooked pork dishes.

Ha said relatives of the patient who was in the most serious condition said he had recently eaten pig's blood pudding, a traditional dish.

Twenty-six people had now been admitted to the Hanoi hospital, and two of them had died of the disease, he said. A third human death reported by state media earlier this week has so far not been confirmed by laboratory tests.

Twenty people have also been treated for the disease in southern Vietnam this year.

"The streptococcus suis is a worldwide disease in pigs, but it's more common where there are high densities of pigs, like in Vietnam and China," said UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) animal health expert Jeffrey Gilbert.

"The concern with the streptococcus suis at the moment in Vietnam is that there seems to be an increase in human cases compared to previous years."

Meanwhile, an outbreak of the "blue ear" swine disease, or Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), has spread through Vietnam's three central provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Danang city.

The FAO's Gilbert said it was so far unclear whether there was a link between the human cases of streptococcus suis and the PRRS outbreak.

"Potentially diseases can co-exist," Gilbert said. "If one disease affects the immunity of the animal it will be more likely to get another disease." - AFP/yy :tiphat:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/290770/1/.html

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ds vAlign=top width=435 height=0>Last Updated: <!--2007-07-27 21:18:01 todaysDate = Date(07, 07, 27, 21, 18, 01); --><SCRIPT language=JavaScript> dayarray = new Array("Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday","Saturday"); montharray = new Array("January", "February", "March", "April","May", "June", "July", "August", "September", "October", "November", "December"); todaysDate = new Date("July 27, 2007 21:18:01"); document.write(dayarray[todaysDate.getDay()] + ", " + montharray[todaysDate.getMonth()] + " " + todaysDate.getDate() + ", "); //if (todaysDate.getYear() < 1000){ //document.write(todaysDate.getYear() + 2000); //} else { document.write(todaysDate.getFullYear()); //} document.write(" 21:18:01 Vietnam (GMT+07)"); </SCRIPT>Friday, July 27, 2007 21:18:01 Vietnam (GMT+07) </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top><!--This begin of the news --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="100%" colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="50%" height=30>javascript:openwindowopt('http://ww...ties/email.php?catid=8&newsid=30446',400,460)</TD><TD width="50%">http://www.thanhniennews.com/print.php?catid=8&newsid=30446</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left height=35>Porcine disease spreads in central provinces
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left width="100%" colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=20 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=left colSpan=2>

</TD><TD align=left width=5></TD></TR><TR><TD class=cap align=left colSpan=2></TD><TD align=left width=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Pigs in Thua Thien ? Hue province have fallen prey to blue ear disease, which has been sweeping through central Vietnam, according to the Animal Health Department. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left>

The department reported the outbreak Friday following reports of some 30,000 other pigs that have been infected Quang Ngai province since June. Thua Thien ? Hue is the third area ? after neighboring Quang Ngai and Danang ? to register an influx of the disease.
The department has tested samples from over 1,400 pigs that were reported sick in Phu Vang and Huong Thuy district July 13.
The pigs were positive for blue ear, or Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS).
Symptoms include high fever, respiratory prob­lems, constipation and diarrhea.
Local agencies have begun working with residents to cull and destroy the sick pigs in Quang Ngai.
On Tuesday, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat sent a message to central-run cities and provinces asking them to take pre-emptive actions against blue ear disease.
Phat also said that unaffected regions should set up checkpoints to stop the transport of diseased pigs and pork products to prevent the spread of the disease.
PRRS in pigs is caused by the Lelstad virus and causes blue ears, loss of appetite, high fever, miscarriage and premature delivery among sows. Coughing, respiratory problems and death occur in extreme cases
Vietnam has also been hit by another porcine disease. Some 26 people have reportedly contracted a pig-borne disease called Streptococcus suis, a bacteria that has killed two of the 26 so far.
The sickness usually manifests high fever, nausea and vomiting, followed by meningitis, hemorrhages, toxic shock and even comas in severe cases.:tiphat:
​

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http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy/?catid=8&newsid=30446

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left height=35>Blue ear disease in pigs puts Vietnamese off pork
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</TD><TD align=left width=5></TD></TR><TR><TD class=cap align=left colSpan=2></TD><TD align=left width=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Pork sales have plunged in Ho Chi Minh City markets but shot up in supermarkets amid fears of infected meat from blue ear disease that has been raging among pigs in five provinces. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left>

Nguyen Xuan Trang, head of Pham Van Hai market, said sales had fallen by 10 percent in the last four days.
Wholesalers reported a decrease of 10-20 percent and retailers of up to 50 percent.
A retailer said before the disease became known through the media she sold 250 kg of pork in the morning daily but it had fallen to a third since.
Go Vap market also reported a similar situation. A market official said due to the low demand many had stopped selling pork.
But the markets? loss has been the supermarkets? gain. Bui Duy Duc, director of Vissan foods, said his company?s outlets in HCMC had seen a jump of over 20 percent in demand to 15 tons daily.
Having prepared for the situation, Vissan could meet the demand for safe pork with its stringent quality control systems from breeding to culling.
Epidemic fight
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat has urged local administrations to take measures against the disease like checking transport of sick pigs, inoculation, quarantine of infected sites, and slaughter of sick animals.
The whole nation was on high alert, not just the infected provinces, he said.
So far the disease, known to scientists as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), has been detected in Danang city and Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Thua Thien-Hue provinces in the central region and Long An province in the Mekong Delta, with around 35,000 pigs infected.
On Monday the Animal Health Department confirmed that some 30 pigs which had fallen ill and died in Long An in the last few days had PRRS.
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung instructed agencies to stock vaccines and proposed a support policy for affected farmers.
Doan Hong Phong, deputy head of Hanoi?s Animal Health Department, said city agencies were checking movement of sick pigs from infected areas.
Human transmission fears
Tran Tinh Hien of the HCMC-based Hospital of Tropical Diseases said pigs were also susceptible to the streptococcus bacteria or strep. suis.
Blue ear did not spread to humans but strep. suis could.
Blue ear enhanced clinical manifestation of latent strep. suis infection in pigs which could then spread to humans. Its symptoms included fever, headache, dizziness, and even meningitis and arthritis.
Research is on to find out if strep. suis can spread among humans.
Nguyen Sinh Hung has instructed research agencies to speed up their work.
PRRS in pigs is caused by the Lelstad virus which causes ears to turn blue, appetite loss, high fever, miscarriage, premature delivery, coughing, respiratory problems, and even death in extreme cases.:tiphat: http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/?catid=3&newsid=30541​

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[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=numberdate vAlign=top align=left bgColor=#3a84fd height=16>Tuesday , Jul 31, 2007, Posted at: 18:11(GMT+7)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thanh vAlign=top align=left>Blue Ear Occurs in Long An</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tintop_text vAlign=top align=left>The Animal Health Department officially announced yesterday that Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) ? also called ?Blue Ear? ? has occurred in pigs in Can Giuoc District in the Mekong Delta province of Long An, as confirmed by recent tests.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=1 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=Image>Breeder Nguyen Van Ngoi's diseased pig covered in red spots </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>​

From July 13 to 28, deaths of 91 pigs of Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy and Nguyen Van Ngoi in Can Giuoc District were reported.
According to Mr. Ngoi, his pigs contracted the disease as he bought pork from market.
This proves the virus?s existence in local pigs, and the animal health department has subsequently requested that local veterinary workers keep a close watch on the disease and that sterilization be carried out.
Transport of pigs into and out of the affected district must be banned and pig sale and slaughter must be closely monitored, especially that of meat without a label stating the origin of the product as predominately found in flea-markets.
The head of Thu Duc?s controlling station Nguyen Thanh Binh said that around 3,500 to 4,000 pigs have passed through the station. They have not found any cases to date.
The employees, market managers, traffic wardens and vets will work together around the clock to prevent diseased pigs from coming into Ho Chi Minh city.
Pig breeders have been warned not to increase their number of pigs, and to be careful about the feed they use.
The price of pork started to fall in markets as breeders have tried to sell their pigs at low prices for fear that their pigs too will contract the disease. However, the shops of Vissan Limited Co. have been crowded with consumers and prices have kept stable.:tiphat: http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/National/2007/7/57266/
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[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=news width="50%">July 30, 2007 13:46 PM </TD><TD align=right width="50%"> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Pig Disease Hits Southern Vietnam

HANOI, July 30 (Bernama) -- Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), commonly known as blue-ear disease, has recently stricken dozens of pigs in Vietnam's southern Long An province, according to local newspaper Labor on Monday.

Specimens from some out of over 60 pigs raised by two households in the province's Can Giuoc district, have tested positive to PRRS, China's Xinhua news agency quoted the newspaper as saying here.

Local residents said infected pigs in the central region are being transported to such southern provinces as Long An, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau.

Now, thousands of pigs in the central localities of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Da Nang and Hue, are being infected with PRRS.

Local veterinary agencies are intensifying the culling of infected pigs to prevent the disease from spreading, and establishing checkpoints along main roads to control the transport of the animal.

The state offers raisers financial assistance of US$0.60 cents (US$1=RM3.45) for each kg of infected pigs culled.

PRRS is characterized by reproductive failure of sows and respiratory problems of piglets and growing pigs. It occurs in most major pig-producing areas throughout the world.

The reproductive failure is characterized by infertility, late fetal mummification, abortions, stillbirths, and the birth of weak piglets that often die soon after birth from respiratory disease and secondary infections, according to the World Organization for Animal Health.
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=276253

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ds vAlign=top width=435 height=0>Last Updated: <!--2007-08-01 12:30:51 todaysDate = Date(07, 08, 01, 12, 30, 51); --><SCRIPT language=JavaScript> dayarray = new Array("Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday","Saturday"); montharray = new Array("January", "February", "March", "April","May", "June", "July", "August", "September", "October", "November", "December"); todaysDate = new Date("August 01, 2007 12:30:51"); document.write(dayarray[todaysDate.getDay()] + ", " + montharray[todaysDate.getMonth()] + " " + todaysDate.getDate() + ", "); //if (todaysDate.getYear() < 1000){ //document.write(todaysDate.getYear() + 2000); //} else { document.write(todaysDate.getFullYear()); //} document.write(" 12:30:51 Vietnam (GMT+07)"); </SCRIPT>Wednesday, August 1, 2007 12:30:51 Vietnam (GMT+07) </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top><!--This begin of the news --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="100%" colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="50%" height=30> </TD><TD width="50%"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left height=35>Vietnam scrambles to combat pig epidemic
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</TD><TD align=left width=5></TD></TR><TR><TD class=cap align=left colSpan=2></TD><TD align=left width=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The Vietnamese government has provided four central provinces VND25 billion (US$1.55 million) to combat the blue ear disease that has infected thousands of pigs and seems likely to spread south. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left>

The worst-hit Quang Nam received VND10 billion, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Ngai VND2 billion each, and Danang VND1 billion.
Blue ear disease, known in medical parlance as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), hit over 30,000 pigs in these places in the last month.
At a briefing Tuesday, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said it would set up a special task force to lead the fight against the pandemic.
It instructed affected provinces to take drastic measures to contain the epidemic like preventing illicit transport of infected pigs, inoculation, quarantine of infected sites, and slaughter of sick animals.
Failure to adopt these measures would attract strong penalties, it warned.
Deputy Minister Bui Ba Bong told affected provinces to expedite the mass cull of infected pigs and reporting of fresh epidemic zones.
Any cover-ups would be seriously punished, Bong warned.
The Veterinary Bureau announced Tuesday that the streptococcus bacteria, or strep. suis, to which pigs are susceptible, had not spread on a large scale as earlier feared.
The ministry said though the pig epidemic had shown signs of a letup in central provinces, authorities should not become complacent. It could reemerge at any time.
Blue ear enhances the clinical manifestation of latent strep. suis infection in pigs which could then spread to humans. Its symptoms include fever, headache, dizziness, and even meningitis and arthritis.
Research is on to find out if strep. suis can spread among humans. But health experts have shrugged off worries that the bacteria could cause human-to-human transmission.
Ho Chi Minh City takes precautions
The HCMC Department of Agriculture and Rural Development asked the government Tuesday to stop the transport of pigs from the north and central to keep out blue ear disease.
The health watchdog has detected several cases of pigs of dubious origins being transported to the city and nearby provinces.
The administration held a meeting with concerned agencies Tuesday to step up efforts to keep out the pig epidemic.
It instructed officials to keep a close eye on the transport of pigs from other provinces, particularly in the central region.
Local pig breeders were told to inoculate their animals, not to get new animals for the moment, and remain vigilant against pigs of uncertain origins.
Neighboring Long An province announced that blue ear disease had been discovered in Can Giuoc district, sending pork prices plunging.:tiphat: http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy/?catid=8&newsid=30581​

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[Treyfish]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

STREPTOCOCCUS SUIS, HUMAN - VIET NAM (02)

Date: Sun 26 Aug 2007
From: Marcelo Gottschalk <marcelo.gottschalk@umontreal.ca>


Regarding _Streptococcus suis_ in Viet Nam, [see ProMED archive
20070721.2345, Streptococcus suis, human - Viet Nam]
nothing indicates so far that a new outbreak is taking place now in 2007.

The Viet Nam Institute of Tropical & Contagious Diseases in Hanoi has
newly developed capacities to diagnose human _S. suis_ infection.
This was not present before 2007. It is not known if the "increased"
number of human _S. suis_ is related to the PRRS [porcine
reproductive and respiratory syndrome] outbreak or simply a better
detection system not previously present in the north of the country.

In the south of the country (Ho Chi Minh City), a hospital with
similar affiliation has been detecting cases in humans for many
years. Dr. Constance Schultsz from the Oxford University Clinical
Research Unit Hospital for Tropical Disease in Ho Chi Minh City has
very good experience on isolation and characterization of Vietnamese
strains of human _S. suis_, and it seems that _S. suis_ is already
one of the main causes of adult human meningitis in this country.
Isolates from the North will soon be sent to her laboratory for MLTS
[? multilocus sequence testing] analysis.

--
Marcelo Gottschalk
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
University of Montreal
Canada
<marcelo.gottschalk@umontreal.ca>

[We thank Marcelo Gottschalk for his comments. He has published
extensively on the microbiology of _S. suis and _S. suis_ infection
in humans and pigs. (For a recent discussion of _S. suis_ by Marcelo
Gottschalk, see
<http://www.thepigsite.com/articles/1/health-and-welfare/1980/lessons-from-chinas-istreptococcus-suis-ioutbreak-the-risk-for-humans>.)

ProMED-mail 20070726.2403 updated the total number of human
infections with _S. suis_ in Viet Nam in 2007 to 42, adding 20 cases
in the south to the 22 cases described earlier from the north
(ProMED-mail 20070721.2345). The relationship between pig-origin _S.
suis_ infections in humans and PRRS (porcine reproductive and
respiratory syndrome) in pigs was discussed in ProMED-mail
20070726.2403. The possible under-diagnosis of human _S. suis_
infection in the United States was discussed in ProMED-mail
20070823.2756. I believe at the present time only one (VITEK 2) of 3
commonly used commercial automated diagnostic panels available in
clinical laboratories has the capacity to speciate _S. suis_, an
alpha-hemolytic streptococcus when grown on sheep blood agar plates
from clinical specimens.

Although serotype 2 is considered the most virulent and the most
frequent serotype isolated from disease, virulence can vary
substantially both within and among the 35 known serotypes,
Serotyping is based on the immunogenicity of the capsular
polysaccharide. Not all isolates of the same serotype cause the same
disease and the importance of particular serotypes can vary
geographically. Multilocus sequence testing is a procedure that has
been used to characterize clones or clonal groups of _S. suis_
isolates on the basis of nucleotide sequences of 7 housekeeping gene
fragments -- see <http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/reprint/40/10/3671.pdf>. - Mod.ML]:tiphat:

http://tinyurl.com/23hfva

 

[Niko]

Re: Two die in Vietnam from pig virus ("undiagnosed")

Outbreak of Pig Disease in China
Prompts Monitoring in Vietnam

[FONT=times new roman,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,times,serif]By NICHOLAS ZAMISKA
August 20, 2007; Page A4[/FONT]
[/FONT]
HONG KONG -- International animal-health experts have flown to Vietnam to determine whether a new virus afflicting pigs in China has spread, rekindling tensions over China's cooperation in alerting the outside world to diseases within its borders.
The disease, which isn't a threat to humans but has infected millions of pigs in China, has been identified by Chinese scientists as a highly pathogenic variant of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, also known as blue-ear disease because of the symptom infected piglets can show.
Chinese pork prices are up sharply, and blue-ear disease may be playing a role, though it isn't clear how big or what other factors may be at play. The disease was first discovered in the U.S. in 1987 and was found in Europe and Asia in the early 1990s, according to the Chinese researchers.

In June, 29 researchers -- almost all from China's top research centers, including the China Animal Disease Control Center in Beijing and the Chinese Academy of Sciences -- published a paper on the virus in PLoS ONE, a new online scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco. The paper examined a Chinese outbreak last summer that infected more than two million pigs, of which about 400,000 cases were fatal.
But some animal-health experts, both within and outside China, wonder whether the Chinese research team has the right diagnosis. Since blue-ear disease usually doesn't kill adult pigs, "it's very, very strange for us," says Juan Lubroth, head of infectious diseases at the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization. "For the Chinese to say this is the responsible agent for this killer virus, I think it could be a component" of a mix of pathogens, perhaps including a bacterial agent, a different virus or a combination of the two.
The uncertainty has again stoked worries that China may not be doing enough to cooperate with the outside world when it comes to diseases. In 2002 and 2003, the Chinese government initially tried to cover up the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, which eventually killed nearly 800 people world-wide.
Chinese scientists involved with the research say they have been forthcoming. "There is nothing secret," says George F. Gao, director general of the Institute of Microbiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and one of the authors of the Chinese paper. Dr. Gao says that, if anything, the government has been pressuring the Chinese researchers to release the information they had.
The Agriculture Ministry in Beijing wasn't available for comment.
The uncertainty about the nature of the disease has prompted Vietnam to look into unusual pig deaths within its borders. Carolyn Benigno, animal health officer with the Food and Agriculture Organization in Bangkok, along with two other animal-health experts, have flown to Vietnam to investigate.
For the past week, they have been interviewing farmers and collecting virus samples, she says. The FAO sent one batch of virus samples last week to the U.S. Agriculture Department's animal-disease laboratory on Plum Island, N.Y., and will be sending a second batch shortly.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118755999380402244.html?mod=rss_Health