Announcement

**HenryN** · May 9, 2007, 10:28 AM

Re: Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press

UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE, PORCINE - CHINA (04)
*****************************************
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: Tue 8 May 2007
From: Richard Knox <rknox@npr.org>

Stefane DeLaRocque of the Food and Agriculture Organization's Animal Health
Division tells me that Chinese authorities have told the FAO (United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation) they have isolated a virus from
pigs involved in a mysterious disease outbreak in Gaoyao and Yunfu in
Guangdong, 140 miles (225 km) north west of Hong Kong. According to media
reports, about 3000 pigs have been affected so far, but FAO has no report
more reliable on the extent of the outbreak.

Chinese scientists tell the FAO it is PRRS virus (porcine respiratory and
reproductive syndrome). If that is correct, FAO thinks it may be a new,
more pathogenic mutant. PRRS, which emerged 18 years ago and was initially
called "mystery swine disease," is not usually described as a prominently
hemorrhagic disease. Gross hemorrhage is said to be a main feature of the
current outbreak.

According to DeLaRocque, FAO is currently leaving open the possibility of
other causes. It has not ruled out an avian flu mutant, but the picture as
it is currently known to FAO, does not look consistent with avian flu, and
there have been no recent reported poultry outbreaks of H5N1 in the region.

As of Tuesday [8 May 2007] afternoon, China had not invited FAO
investigators in.

--
Richard Knox
National Public Radio
NPR/Science
USA
<rknox@npr.org>

[We are grateful to Richard Knox for providing this information. Porcine
reproductive and respiratory syndrome [PRRS] virus is one of the 3 disease
agents mentioned by the Chinese authorities to be involved in "pig high
fever disease" [PHFD]. According to China's notification to the OIE (Office
International des Epizooies; World Animal Health Organization) of 12 Sep
2006 (see ProMED-mail Undiagnosed disease, porcine - China (03): OIE
20060924.2732), PHFD, observed since June 2006, is caused by a mixed
infection of classical swine fever (CSF), PRRS, and porcine circovirus
(PCV-2). Other disease agents have been suspected as well.

While PRRS is characterized by late-term abortions, stillbirths, piglets
born weak, and respiratory signs in pigs of all ages, acute CSF will show,
in many cases, hemorrhages.

It seems that the diagnostic and investigative efforts deserve to be
enhanced; official information, including exclusion of the involvement of
avian influenza, is anticipated. - Mod.AS

Guangdong province can be located on the map of China at
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/china_pol01.jpg>.
Gaoyao and neighboring Yunfu are about 100 km (62 miles) west of Guangzhou,
the provincial capital. - CopyEd.MJ]

**Treyfish** · May 9, 2007, 05:27 PM

Re: Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press

Pork traders ban imports from Guangdong town

Marco Lui

Monday, May 07, 2007

Pork traders in Hong Kong have stopped importing pigs from a township in Guangdong province after hundreds of pigs there died of unknown diseases in the past two weeks.

Hui Wai-kin, deputy chairman of the Pork Traders' General Association of Hong Kong, said the territory used to import pigs in small numbers from Yunfu city in central-western Guangdong, but stopped after pigs in the area showed signs of swine fever.
"Pigs to be exported are branded to show where they come from. This will allow the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China to track down the source of infected pigs easily and ban them from being exported," Hui said.
Mainland media reported earlier this week that pigs in Yunfu city developed symptoms such as fever and lack of appetite in late April and died.
A Centre for Food Safety spokesperson said it has contacted relevant authorities across the border and confirmed that no live pigs from Yunfu have been imported into the SAR.
"Every imported pig has a health certificate, and our staff will check its status during import and before slaughter," the spokesperson said.
The latest scare, however, has not affected Hong Kong people's demand for pork.
A butcher, Mr Poon, said he is not worried about a drop in sales because he feels the government's import inspection system is effective.
"We play by the rules. So if the pigs we sell still have any problems, it's the government's responsibility," he said.
A Ms Yeung also shrugged off the latest outbreak after being told pigs from the affected area are not being imported into Hong Kong.
"I cook pork all the time. I can't worry that much," she said.
However, in Yunfu city itself, pork sales plunged as the news emerged.
About 80 percent of the pigs affected died, and carcasses have been dumped into rivers.
"Such a large scale infection of pigs is unprecedented," said Ms Li, a pig farmer. She said her pigs had shown fever symptoms since March and that her herd has been reduced from more than 100 in March to only four.

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_d...d_str=20070507

**Treyfish** · May 9, 2007, 06:03 PM

Re: Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press

<TABLE class=lan18 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="95%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=lan18 vAlign=bottom align=middle height=30>Mysterious pig disease in south China identified
</TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff height=4></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#999999 height=2></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="50%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=hui12 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="95%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>www.chinaview.cn 2007-05-09 20:36:22 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="50%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=10></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=hui12 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="95%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle> </TD><TD class=lanx12 width=160></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="50%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=10></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=lt14 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="93%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=lt14>

GUANGZHOU, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese epidemiologists have discovered that a mysterious pig epidemic spreading throughout south China's Guangdong province is an outbreak of an infectious disease commonly known as "blue ear disease".
The disease was first found in Silao town of Yunfu city at the end of April, after pigs stopped eating, developed fevers and started hemorrhaging. More than 300 pigs died.
The "blue ear disease" spread to China in the middle 1990s and the recent outbreak in Guangdong was caused by a deadly mutation of the virus. China has already developed effective vaccines for the disease and they will be used in Guangdong soon, said the provincial agriculture department. According to Yunfu government, the infected pigs were raised by individual rural households rather than industrialized pig farms and were not exported to Hong Kong or overseas markets. Major roads in and out of the town have been sterilized and the sale of pigs in the infected area has been banned.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_6077467.htm

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**Gnosis** · May 9, 2007, 06:48 PM

Re: Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press

H5N1 mixing with mystery pig virus? HA! When pigs fly.............

This is how it will begin...

**Treyfish** · May 9, 2007, 07:48 PM

Re: Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press

<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>Viral disease suspected in recent pig deaths in China</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>9 May 2007 -- Bangkok – On 8 May the National Chief Vetinarian Officer of China - Jin Youling, Director-General of the Veterinary Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China - officially informed the CVO of FAO that in early May 2007 an epidemic of pigs was found in Laosi town, Yuncheng district in Guangdong province. More than 300 pigs died, with a mortality rate of about 10 percent. Most cases were fattening pigs, reared mainly on backyard or small farms.

The Chinese ministry further confirmed that local veterinary services have implemented active control measures such as disinfection, movement control and hazard-free disposal. As a result, the epidemic is under control up to now.

FAO was informed in September 2006 that a similar epidemic occurred in China last year, diagnosed then as probably caused by highly pathogenic Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS). The Chinese ministry is presently undertaking laboratory tests to confirm the above provisional diagnosis.

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is a viral disease that began attacking swine farms in North America and Europe in the late 1980s and was first diagnosed in 1991. The disease causes stillbirths, miscarriages and piglet mortality rates as high as 70 percent during outbreaks. PRRS can be devastating to swine herds and costs United States farmers more than $560 million annually, making the virus the most financially burdensome porcine disease in the country.

The clinical picture can vary tremendously from one herd to another – some herds will show no recognisable disease, while others will show mild to severe disease. The reasons for this are not clearly understood.

As other viruses, also PRRS has the ability to change – by mutation or recombination – and thus new viral strains may arise in a farm some of which may be highly virulent and some that are not.

Vaccination lessens clinical signs following infection and may thus be useful in herds with ongoing PRRS problems or in herds at high risk of PRRS infection. Vaccination does not confer 100 percent protection, and vaccinated herds can still be affected with PRRS.

FAO is closely monitoring further related developments.

http://www.fao.org/world/regional/ra...event_id=36265

More information at:
http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/en/health/default.html

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**Commonground** · May 10, 2007, 05:43 AM

Re: Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="465"><tbody><tr><td class="t18"> Guangdong gears up for emergencies </td> </tr> <tr><td align="right"> <script language="javascript"></script><script langage="javascript"> printResizeButton(); </script></td></tr> <tr> <td>
Having launched an emergency-response administrative office on Tuesday, this coastal province in South China is now setting its sights on drawing up a province-wide emergency-response plan, said a top government official of Guangdong.
The office will be entrusted with coping with potential public emergencies.
The office will mainly be responsible for reporting serious foreign and domestic incidents, managing emergency situations, coordinating response plans and otherwise handling public assistance.
"As a coastal province, Guangdong has seen its share of public incidents, including natural disasters and epidemic diseases, in recent years. So it is essential that we set up a central office and a scheme to cope with such incidents," Guangdong Governor Huang Huahua said.
Huang said geological disasters caused about 500 casualties between 2002 and the end of last year and resulted in direct economic losses of about 2 billion yuan ($256 million).
"Having a comprehensive emergency-response plan will allow us to predict and handle any kind of potential public emergency. Our scheme will cover all county-level areas in the province this year," Huang was quoted as saying by the Guangzhou-based Yangcheng Evening News yesterday.
Huang said Guangdong had registered more than 90,000 plans aimed at coping with various public incidents last year, ranging from natural disasters, workplace incidents and public health disasters to security issues.
"First, we will not allow any delays in the release of information about such incidents to the public. The goal is to make sure people know how to cope with them rather than keeping them uninformed about what is happening around them," Huang said.
Huang also said Guangdong will set up a province-wide database of information from rescue experts and coordinated response plans to allow for the timely management of public disasters.
"A comprehensive command platform will also be set up to allow officials and experts from the emergency-response office to be present at the scene when incidents occur," Huang said.
In another development, Guangdong will also organize a series of drills targeting terrorist attacks, serious animal-related diseases, earthquakes, floods, geological disasters, nuclear incidents, traffic accidents in subways and airplane crashes.
Meanwhile, another emergency response office was also set up early last month in Guangzhou, the provincial capital.
Sources with the Guangzhou office said they were drafting a local contingency plan for public accidents and would release a completed version at the end of this year.

403 Forbidden

http://english.people.com.cn/200705/10/eng20070510_373405.html

Source: China Daily

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**HenryN** · May 10, 2007, 11:15 AM

Re: Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press

<TABLE class=rep_table cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 cellmargin="0"><TBODY><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Report type</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>Immediate notification</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Start date</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>23/04/2007</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Date of confirmation of event</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>09/05/2007</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Report date</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>09/05/2007</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Date submitted to OIE</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>10/05/2007</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Reason for notification</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>Change in epidemiology</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Manifestation of disease</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>Sub-clinical infection</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Causal agent</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Nature of diagnosis</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*></TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Report pertains to</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>Entire country</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

New outbreaks <TABLE class=rep_table width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=rep_item_ob width=200>Outbreak 1 </TD><TD class=rep_data_ob width=*>Laosi, Yuncheng, GUANGDONG</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Date of start of outbreak</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>23/04/2007</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Outbreak status</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>Continuing (or date resolved not submitted)</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Epidemiological unit</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>Village</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Affected animals</TD><TD><TABLE class=rep_sub_table width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=rep_sub_item width="20%">Species</TD><TD class=rep_sub_item width="16%">Susceptible</TD><TD class=rep_sub_item width="16%">Cases</TD><TD class=rep_sub_item width="16%">Deaths</TD><TD class=rep_sub_item width="16%">Destroyed</TD><TD class=rep_sub_item width="16%">Slaughtered</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=rep_sub_data>Swine</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>2981</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>1640</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>331</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>367</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Affected population</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>fattening pigs reared in backyards and small-scale farms.</TD></TR></TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item_ob width=200>Summary of outbreaks</TD><TD class=rep_data_ob width=*>Total outbreaks: 1</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Outbreak statistics</TD><TD class=rep_data><TABLE class=rep_sub_table width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=rep_sub_item width="20%">Species</TD><TD class=rep_sub_item width="20%">Apparent morbidity rate</TD><TD class=rep_sub_item width="20%">Apparent mortality rate</TD><TD class=rep_sub_item width="20%">Apparent case fatality rate</TD><TD class=rep_sub_item width="20%">Proportion susceptible removed* </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=rep_sub_data>Swine</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>55.02%</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>11.10%</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>20.18%</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>23.41%</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>* Removed from the susceptible population either through death, destruction or slaughter</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Epidemiology <TABLE class=rep_table width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Source of infection</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>

Unknown or inconclusive

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Control measures <TABLE class=rep_table width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Measures already applied</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>

<LI class=rep_list>Movement control inside the country <LI class=rep_list>Disinfection of infected premises/establishment(s) <LI class=rep_list>Dipping / Spraying <LI class=rep_list>Stamping out <LI class=rep_list>Vaccination permitted
No treatment of affected animals

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Measures to be applied</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>

Vaccination in response to the outbreak (s)

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Diagnostic test results <TABLE class=rep_table width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Laboratory name and type</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*>Veterinary Diagnosis Laboratory (National laboratory)</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Tests and results</TD><TD><TABLE class=rep_sub_table width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=rep_sub_item width="35%">Species</TD><TD class=rep_sub_item width="40%">Test</TD><TD class=rep_sub_item width="15%">Test date</TD><TD class=rep_sub_item width="10%">Result</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=rep_sub_data>Swine</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>reverse transcription ? polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>09/05/2007</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>Positive</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=rep_sub_data>Swine</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>virus isolation</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>09/05/2007</TD><TD class=rep_sub_data>Positive</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Map of outbreak locations <TABLE class=rep_table width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=rep_item width=200>Location of current outbreaks</TD><TD class=rep_data width=*><FORM name=mapform onsubmit="return validate_map_click(this)" action=public.php method=post target=map_window><INPUT class=framed_map type=image height=400 alt="Please wait while the map is generated for your request" width=400 src="http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/mapserver/temp/117881363254241.png" name=map .> <INPUT type=hidden value=publicb2ed6498d546b3ca1c0495cf73778656117881 3633 name=map_file> <INPUT type=hidden value=country_map_interactive name=page> <INPUT type=hidden value="Location of current outbreaks" name=page_title> <INPUT type=hidden value=weekly_report_item name=page_refer> <INPUT type=hidden name=page_info> <INPUT type=hidden value=CHN name=public_country> <INPUT type=hidden value="70.562602615356, 2.2298980712891, 134.86800537109, 66.535300827026" name=extent> <INPUT type=hidden value=15 name=exsize> <INPUT type=hidden value=0 name=pop> <INPUT type=hidden name=button_action> <INPUT type=hidden value="400 400" name=map_size> </FORM>Click on map to zoom in.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

**Gert van der Hoek** · May 10, 2007, 04:10 PM

Re: Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press

Sick Pigs

First came the bird flu. Now China?s pigs are succumbing to a violent infection. Is a human disease next?

By Barrett Sheridan
Newsweek
Updated: 4:01 p.m. ET May 10, 2007

May 10, 2007 - In an outbreak reminiscent of the early stages of SARS and bird flu, pigs are growing sick and dying across China?s southeastern Guangdong province. Roughly 3,000 pigs have been infected on hundreds of family farms and about 300 have died.

Early reports from Chinese scientists attribute the outbreak to porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome (PRRS), which first appeared 18 years ago and was originally called Mystery Swine Disease. But certain symptoms of the current outbreak, including massive hemorrhaging, are not consistent with PRRS, and might indicate that the disease?most likely caused by a virus?has mutated.

The outbreak has renewed fears that a viral pandemic is in the making in southern China. Richard Webby, an influenza researcher at St. Jude Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and Marie Gramer, a veterinarian and expert on swine influenza at the University of Minnesota, spoke by phone with NEWSWEEK?s Barrett Sheridan on the risks of the recent outbreak, and China?s response.

Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: Is an epidemic in pigs more dangerous to humans than one in, say, birds?

Richard Webby: We think so. We think that if a virus does replicate in pigs it probably is adapted more toward humans.

Is China adequately responding to the outbreak?

Marie Gramer: Although they have a few good laboratories, they don?t have enough of them. They especially don?t have enough of them where the pigs are. They have difficulty in getting timely, accurate diagnoses because of the lack of laboratories, lack of diagnosticians and lack of pathologists. So it doesn?t surprise me that things are undiagnosed.

China has been criticized for being close-lipped during the early stages of the SARS and avian-flu outbreaks. Has that changed?

Gramer: To China?s credit, they are reporting more things to the OIE [the World Organization for Animal Health], which is the World Health Organization for animals, and trying to get things diagnosed, especially in the wake of SARS and bird flu and things like that. Since SARS, I?ve been seeing more reports from every country on what?s going on with undiagnosed outbreaks. I think all countries are doing a little bit better reporting, and China?s certainly trying to maintain a status as good reporter. They?re cooperating.

How much should we be concerned about an outbreak like this one?

Webby: With the standard strains of flu in pigs there?s not much of a concern because these viruses really are endemic [to the pig population] globally. It depends, of course, on what subtype [of influenza]. If it is an H5 [the same strain as bird flu], then yes, that is strange, and yes, that is a concern, and yes, the world needs to know about it yesterday.

Is there a danger of a pig epidemic such as this one jumping species?

Webby: There are a number of reports in the literature?and obviously many more not in the literature?giving examples of influenza viruses from pigs that have gone to humans and also the other way, influenza viruses from humans that have gone to pigs. Generally when it occurs, though, it?s only a few cases. It never really spreads.

Gramer: Yes, that?s a possibility with any disease in any animal. And the more animals you have dying, and the more contact you have with those animals, which increases the chance of it infecting the human taking care of those animals.

Is that the case in China? Do they have closer contact with their animals?

Gramer: In China, [pigs] are very labor-intensive. [The Chinese] are hands-on with their pigs quite a bit. And as a source of food, everybody would have a pig and two chickens on their farms. From what I?ve seen and what?s been reported by other people over there, there?s a lot more intimate contact with your farm animals than there would be in the United States. And there?s more swine in total.

What?s the impact of poverty on a situation like this? Does that increase the risks?

Gramer: We live in a country where we can afford, if a pig is sick or a pig dies, to not eat that pig. In China, if your pig died and your family was still hungry, you?d eat the dead pig, even though it might have been sick when it died. In [developed countries] we don?t have a lot of food-borne diseases because we have an excellent safety inspection system and no sick animals can be consumed for food. That?s a luxury we have that a lot of countries don?t have.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18597469/site/newsweek/?from=rss

**Treyfish** · May 10, 2007, 05:42 PM

Re: Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press

<TABLE class=lan18 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="95%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=lan18 vAlign=bottom align=middle height=30>New vaccine unveiled to fight pig disease in south China
</TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff height=4></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#999999 height=2></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="50%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=hui12 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="95%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>www.chinaview.cn 2007-05-10 18:45:26 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="50%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=10></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=hui12 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="95%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle> </TD><TD class=lanx12 width=160>Adjust font size: </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="50%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=10></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=lt14 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="93%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=lt14>

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese veterinary officials on Thursday announced the development of a brand new diagnostic reagent and vaccine, which they said made them confident of ending an outbreak of a deadly pig disease in the south of the country.
The Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement that a mass immunization of pigs would be completed as early as possible because imminent high summer temperatures and humidity could help spread the outbreak of blue ear disease.
The disease -- officially named porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome -- was not infectious for humans and is listed by the government as one of the 61 class II animal epidemic diseases that must be brought under immediate control.
The vaccine invented by the Chinese Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention and the China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control would see its first use in the epidemic-stricken Guangdong province.
"We will speed up the production and distribution of vaccines and simultaneously tighten quality supervision," said the ministry statement.
The ministry required veterinary departments to stay on high alert for the disease and immediately report suspect cases.
"Once the virus mutates, it will become more pathogenic and more difficult to cure," it warned.
A major problem was the poor breeding conditions as most farmers tend to raise their pigs in open places and pens are poorly equipped with anti-epidemic measures.
The frequent transportation of live pigs might also facilitate the spread of the disease, it said.
A nationwide survey would be carried out to ensure preventive measures and emergency action plans were implemented in counties and townships.
Chinese epidemiologists said the disease arrived in China in the mid 1990s and the latest outbreak in Silao Town of Yunfu City was caused by a deadly mutation of the virus.
More than 300 pigs died after they stopped eating, became feverish and started hemorrhaging at the end of April. According to Yunfu government, the infected pigs were raised by individual rural households rather than on industrial pig farms and were not exported to Hong Kong or overseas markets. The government said it had delivered two reports to the World Organization for Animal Health and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_6082173.htm

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**Treyfish** · May 12, 2007, 05:54 AM

Re: Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press

China says to immunise pigs with new vaccine
10 May 2007 12:40:13 GMT
Source: Reuters



BEIJING, May 10 (Reuters) - China's Ministry of Agriculture said on Thursday it would soon start to immunise pigs with a new vaccine in a bid to prevent the spread of blue ear pig disease.

An estimated 1 million pigs have died in an unusually widespread outbreak of the disease, more formally known as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), that began last May in south Jiangxi Province.
An outbreak in Guangdong province last month captured domestic and international media attention. The disease, which causes stillbirths in pigs, fever, loss of appetite, diarrhoea and redness of the skin, is not communicable to humans.
The vaccination programme will begin in Guangdong, the ministry said on its Web site (www.agri.gov.cn). It is planned to "to stop the spread of disease in its heaviest areas".
Agriculture industry officials have told Reuters that previous vaccination attempts over the last year have proven unsuccessful, which they attributed to mutations in the virus.
Some farmers have attempted to treat pigs by injecting them with the blood of other pigs, they said.
"That's a very crude way to do vaccines. If you do it too early in the progression of the disease, all you will get is virus and no antibodies," said Bruce Akey, director of the diagnostic centre at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK285622.htm

**Treyfish** · May 12, 2007, 06:07 AM

Re: Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, China (People's Rep)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Information received on (and dated) 9 May 2007 from Mr Jia Youling,
national chief veterinary officer, Veterinary Bureau, Director General,
BEIJING, People's Republic of China

Summary
Report type: immediate notification
Start date: 23 April 2007
Date of confirmation of event: 9 May 2007
Date submitted to OIE: 09 May 2007
Reason for notification: change in epidemiology
Manifestation of disease: sub-clinical infection
Causal agent: porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

Nature of diagnosis
Report pertains to: entire country

New outbreaks
Outbreak 1 Laosi, Yuncheng, Guangdong
Date of start of outbreak: 23 April 2007
Outbreak status: continuing (or date resolved not submitted)
Epidemiological unit: village
Species: swine
Susceptible 2981
Cases 1640
Deaths 331
Destroyed 367
Slaughtered 0
Affected population: fattening pigs reared in backyards and small-scale
farms.

Outbreak statistics
Species: swine
Apparent morbidity rate: 55 per cent
Apparent mortality rate: 11 per cent
Apparent case fatality rate: 20 per cent
Proportion susceptible removed*: 23 per cent
* Removed from the susceptible population either through death, destruction
or slaughter

Epidemiology: source of infection unknown or inconclusive

Epidemiological comments: based on the experience of the similar epidemic
occurred in 2006 in China, which was notified to the OIE on 12 September
2006, this case is probably caused by highly pathogenic PRRS virus. The
laboratory diagnosis is ongoing.

Laboratory name and type: Veterinary Diagnosis Laboratory (National Laboratory)
Species: swine
Test: reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
Test date: 09 May 2007
Result: positive

Species: swine
Test: virus isolation
Test date: 09 May 2007
Result: positive

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[This report officially confirms information kindly sent in previously by
Richard Knox of NPR; see Undiagnosed disease, porcine - China (04)
20070509.1492.

The comments contained in this report indicate that this disease is the
same one that was referred to as "Pig High Fever Disease" last year [2006]
which oddly included PRRS as one of 3 possible causes in the official OIE
report. The other 2 agents in a "mixed" infectious etiology included
classical swine fever and porcine circovirus.

It appears as if this year's diagnosis is more definitive citing a highly
pathogenic form of PRRS as the definitive cause as diagnosed by PCR and
virus isolation. While progress is evidenced by a definitive diagnosis this
year, more details on the outbreak (both this year and last) would be
valuable. It would be particularly useful to obtain good, standard outbreak
investigation information which would tell how many farms, what provinces,
morbidity and mortality rates etc. Previous news media reports this month
indicate distribution in Sichuan, Henan provinces which are quite some
distance from Guangdong province see - Undiagnosed disease, porcine - China
(02): update 20070406.1155. - Mod.PC]

http://tinyurl.com/2bn7mr

**HenryN** · May 14, 2007, 08:10 AM

Re: Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press

PORCINE REPRODUCTIVE AND RESPIRATORY SYNDROME - CHINA (02)
************************************************** ********
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Sat 12 May 2007
Source: Guangxi News - Modern Life Daily [in Chinese, trans. Dan
Silver, edited]
<http://www.gxnews.com.cn/staticpages/20070512/newgx46450bf3-1072301.shtml>

On the morning of 11 May 2007, personnel from the Nanning Municipal
Agricultural Bureau spread out to major pig-farming counties to
[organize] comprehensive pig "high fever disease" prevention and
control measures among veterinary departments at all levels,
[including] strengthening immunization supervision. [The same day],
sources in relevant departments said that pig "high fever disease"
has occurred in the past several months in Anhui, Hunan, Guangdong,
Shandong, Liaoning, Jilin, and other provinces, and has caused the
deaths of more than 20 million pigs, with extremely heavy economic losses.

Pig "high fever disease" has already been discovered in 8 counties
(districts) in the [Guangxi Autonomous] Region. Among these, pig
"high fever disease" is suspected to have occurred in 92
administrative villages of 10 townships in Cenxi City. The disease
has been found in 4875 pigs, with 287 deaths. Although there are no
reports of disease within Nanning Municipality at this time, earlier
this year [2007] pig deaths occurred for unknown reasons in 2 or 3
counties (districts) in Nanning. Some medium and small pig farms and
pig-raising households had not implemented pig "high fever disease"
vaccination. The circumstances of prevention and control activities are grim.

On 10 May 2007, the [Guangxi] Autonomous Region People's Government
conducted thorough deployment for prevention and control work across
the Region. While demanding thorough pig "high fever disease"
immunization within about a month, it also demanded that all relevant
departments carry out supervision of pig markets and private
slaughterhouses and sternly strike against illegal sale of diseased
pork and pork products. [The same day], Nanning Municipal Government
held a citywide pig "high fever disease" prevention and control
conference, stipulating that all relevant departments at all levels
make every effort toward implementing prevention and control work for
pig "high fever disease" and other serious diseases, to guarantee
personal health and public hygiene safety for the population.

Veterinary departments at all levels are to strengthen disease
inspection work on production sites and slaughterhouses, allowing
[healthy] pigs to market while resolutely stopping diseased pigs from
entering distribution. Those responsible for illegal purchase, sale,
or processing of diseased pigs will be severely punished according to the law.

Porcine "high fever disease", an OIE (World Animal Health
Organization) notifiable disease, also called pig blue ear disease,
is a pig reproductive and respiratory viral syndrome (PRRS). It is an
infectious illness characterized by reproductive disorder, premature
delivery, miscarriage, and stillbirth, as well as abnormal breathing
in piglets. When pigs contract this disease, it not only spreads
extremely fast, but morbidity and mortality are also very high.

"We are reminding residents that for their own health, they should
not eat diseased pork or pork of uncertain origin!", a staff member
of the Nanning Municipal Agricultural Bureau's Animal Husbandry
Section told reporters. A reporter observed that in Nanning's Xinzhu
Road, Gucheng Road, Minzhu Road, and other produce markets, pig "high
fever disease" had not significantly affected consumption. Many pork
retailers were nearly sold out within an hour.

[Byline: Yuan Lu]

--
Communicated by:
Dan Silver
<dgsilver@yahoo.com>

[According to the information above, "high fever disease", apparently
caused by PRRS virus (PRRSV), has been observed during the past
several months in more than 7 provinces of China; the official OIE
notification of 9 May 2007, referred to one of them (Guandong).
Nanning, referred to in the newswire above, is the capital of the
Guangxi autonomous Region, situated in southern China, approx.160 km
(100 miles) from the border with Vietnam [see map at
<http://sedac.ciesin.org/china/admin/bnd90/bnd90data.html>]

PRRSV (currently classified as a member of the newly established
order of _Nidovirales_, family _Arteriviridae_, genus _Arterivirus_)
is now ubiquitous throughout most of the pig-rearing areas of the
world and is believed to exist in 2 main forms -- the type 1
genotype, which predominates in Europe and the type 2, which
predominates in the USA. A complicating factor in PRRS epidemiology
has been the use of live vaccines, some of which have caused clinical
disease and become established in the local pig population. Such
vaccines have allegedly been applied throughout the world, including Asia.

Increasing data indicate that PRRSV is antigenically, genetically,
and pathologically very heterogenic. Since the mid 1990s, a more
virulent form of PRRSV has been causing high abortion and mortality
rates in vaccinated swine populations in the US. These severe
outbreaks of PRRS have been referred to as acute PRRS, atypical PRRS,
hot PRRS, abortion storm, or sow abortion and mortality syndrome.
Zimmerman et al (1997) described the criteria for the diagnosis of
acute PRRS, which include acute onset, clinical signs occurring over
a 2-4 week period, high mortality (greater than 5 percent) in sows
and boars, and a high rate of abortions (greater than 10 percent).
Many of the herds affected by acute PRRS were on a PRRS vaccination
program with the available modified live-vaccines, suggesting that
the vaccine-induced antibodies failed to neutralize the acute PRRS virus.

As discussed by Kijona et al (2001), several recent Danish isolates,
2 Taiwanese isolates (MD001 and FI), 2 Chinese isolates (S1 and
CH1a), a Japanese isolate (Kitasato 931), and an isolate from
Guatemala (249010), are all clustered within the North American
genotype. The North American genotype of the Danish isolates has been
confirmed to be derived from the RespPRRS vaccine that was used in
Danish swine herds. The origins of the Asian isolates with a North
American genotype are not known.

The disease, which in China is called "high fever disease", was
initially attributed to a mix infection of PRRS, classical swine
fever, (CSF) and porcine circovirus (PCV-2), and probably additional
agents. According to China's last notification to the OIE, dated 9
May 2007, the causal agent of an outbreak in Guandong is PRRSV. The
report indicates that the reason for notification is "change in
epidemiology" and that the manifestation of the disease is
"sub-clinical infection". However, the apparent case fatality rate
(20 percent) does not fit the description "sub-clinical".

Clearly, more details on the PRRS virus, currently circulating in
vast areas of China and Viet Nam, are urgently needed. This should
include the exclusion of other disease agents (including avian
influenza and CSF), studies into the pathogenicity of the Chinese
PRRSV and its genotyping. Such data might indeed be anticipated soon,
since the Chinese notification (under "epidemiological comments")
indicates that the case is "probably caused by highly pathogenic PRRS
virus" and that "laboratory diagnosis is ongoing".

Subscribers are referred to Mod.PC's commentary in ProMED-mail
posting "Porcine reprod & resp syndr - China (Guangdong): OIE
20070512.1517". - Mod. AS]

References:
1. Zimmerman et al (1997): Results of the recent survey of the
membership of the AASP for outbreaks of sow abortion and mortality.
Swine Health Prod. 5, pp 74-5.

2. Kijona et al (2001): Genetic variation and phylogenetic analyses
of the ORF5 gene of acute porcine reproductive and respiratory
syndrome virus isolates. Veterinary Microbiology, Vol 83 (3), pp 249-263.

[see also:
Porcine reprod & resp syndr - China (Guangdong): OIE 20070512.1517
Porcine reproductive & respiratory syndrome - USA (NC) 20070407.1171
Porcine reproductive & respiratory syndrome - Viet Nam: RFI 20070412.1225
Porcine reproductive & respiratory syndrome - Viet Nam (02): OIE 20070414.
Porcine reproductive & respiratory syndrome - Viet Nam (03) 20070418.1281
Porcine reproductive & respiratory syndrome - Viet Nam (04): OIE 20070422.
Porcine reproductive & respiratory syndrome - Viet Nam (05) 20070512.1516
Undiagnosed disease, porcine - China: update (02) 20070406.1155
Undiagnosed disease, porcine - China: update 20070114.0185
2006
----
Undiagnosed disease, porcine - China (04) 20061129.3387
Undiagnosed disease, porcine - China (03): OIE 20060924.2732]
.............................................arn/mj/jw

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**gsgs** · May 14, 2007, 08:16 AM

Re: Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press

huh ? 20 million dead pigs in the last few months ???
Can someone check this ?

-------------------

one million in total since last May, according to:

Purpose-built technology

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK285622.htm

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Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press

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