Foot-mouth disease infects pigs in Vietnam's Central Highlands

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - An outbreak of foot-mouth disease has infected more than 1,000 pigs in central Vietnam, officials said Monday. The outbreak, detected in Duc Trong district of Lam Dong province in the country's Central Highlands, has already killed 400 pigs in the past week, said Pham Van Chau, head of the provincial animal health department.

"We have quarantined the infected area and are sanitizing the pig sties," he said.

Transporting and selling pigs from the infected district has been banned. Checkpoints have been set up along the major roads, Chau said.

"We have to ensure minimum chance for the disease to spread," he said, adding infected pigs that died were burned.

However, local media have reported that motorbikes carrying caged pigs have been seen coming and going daily from the provincial capital of Dalat.

The provincial animal health office is planning to cull infected pigs in the area, Chau said.

Foot-mouth disease, which also affects sheep, cows and goats, is a highly contagious viral illness that can spread through minimal contact with infected animals, farm equipment or meat. The disease can be fatal in animals but does not harm humans.

Chau said pigs in Vietnam are vaccinated against the disease twice a year. The pigs that became infected were inoculated in early 2006, he said.

"The pigs may have been infected by a virus strain that resists the vaccine. We are collecting samples to find out treatments as well as the proper type of vaccine for future use."

© The Canadian Press, 2006