Thursday, February 12, 2009Print This Page
Officials Sacked over Chinese Pig Deaths
CHINA - Two officials were removed from their posts Wednesday for their poor performance in containing the spread of blue-ear disease that has killed more than 1,000 pigs in north China's Shanxi Province so far this year, local authorities have reported.



Zhang Mazhu was sacked as director of the Animal Husbandry Center of Hongtong County, and Jia Changchun was dismissed as deputy Party secretary of the Wan'an Township in Hongtong, said a spokesman with the county's Party committee.

The two officials were blamed for failing to take effective measures to handle the blue-ear disease issue, he said.

Up to 1,056 pigs have been found dead in Wan'an so far this year. The animals were raised by 65 households in 10 villages. About 80 per cent of the dead animals were less than a month old.

Local authorities have quarantined the villages and culled 936 infected pigs.

Vaccine for 165,000 pigs have been sent to Hongtong, along with 430 exposure suits, 4.1 tonnes of disinfectant and 610 syringes for injections.

The county allocated 1 million yuan (equivalent to 147,000 US dollars) as compensation for farmers, who will get 150 yuan to 1,500 yuan per pig.

Markets and supermarkets were closely monitored, but so far, no contaminated pork has been discovered.

Blue-ear disease is an economically important pandemic that causes reproductive failure in breeding stock and respiratory tract illness in young pigs.

Chinese authorities stem spread of blue ear disease 
[13 February 2009] Authorities have quarantined 10 villages in North China where infected pigs were found and so far culled 936 infected pigs. Vaccine for 165,000 pigs have been sent to Hongtong, along with 430 exposure suits, 4.1 metric tons of disinfectant and 610 syringes for injections. The county has also allocated CNY 1 million (about USD 147,000) to compensate farmers who lost pigs.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009Print This Page
New Pig Supply Base for Hong Kong
CHINA - A live pig supply base for Hong Kong is to be set up in Henan province.



North China's Henan province is expected to supply 400,000 live pigs to Hong Kong consumers in 2011, accounting for 25 per cent of the total live pig sales in Hong Kong, according to local government sources.

For the target, the province plans to build the country's biggest base to supply live pigs to Hong Kong. The base will be built by a joint venture between Hong Kong-based NG Fung Hong Limited and a local firm. With an initial investment of CNY 250 million, the base is designed to breed one million pigs in five years.

Henan province supplied 203,000 live pigs worth US$ 40.73 million to Hong Kong in 2,220 batches in 2008. This represents increases of 5.1 per cent, 50.2 per cent and 2.7 per cent for each measure, respectively, compared to one year ago. The province is ranked number one by the volume it supplies.

Furthermore, over the last ten years, no epidemic has occurred in pigs supplied to Hong Kong from Henan province.

NG Fung Hong is part of China Resources (Holdings) Co., Ltd.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009Print This Page
Parliament Votes on Pork Penalty
BAHRAIN - Parliament yesterday voted to impose a two-month jail term or a fine of BD300, or both, for anyone in Bahrain who imports, sells or simply possesses pork.



MPs are calling for amendments to Bahrain's Penal Code that would outlaw pork, which they said would be drafted into a law by the Cabinet before being resubmitted to parliament and Shura Council for approval.

The amendments have been originally proposed by the Al Asala bloc and recommended by parliament's foreign affairs, defence and national security committee.

Friday, February 20, 2009Print This Page
Singapore Suspends Pork Imports from Taiwan
SINGAPORE - Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) Thursday announced the suspension of pork, pork products and dairy products import from Taiwan, local media reported.



TV broadcaster Channelnewsasia said the announcement followed an official confirmation of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at two farms in Taiwan's Yun-lin and Chang-Hua, where a total of 677 pigs were slaughtered after the disease was confirmed.

Import of pork and pork related products from Taiwan only accounts for less than one percent of all pork imports, the report said.

The report said three types of products will not be affected by the suspension, namely dairy products made from double pasteurized milk, heat processed pork products that meet the requirements for heat inactivation of the foot-and-mouth disease virus, dairy product with pH less than 6.　

Friday, February 20, 2009Print This Page
S China Discovers Poisoning by Pig Feed Additive
CHINA - Forty-six people in south China's Guangdong Province were poisoned on Thursday after eating pig organs that contained an animal-feed additive, the local health authority said.



They were all hospitalized for stomach aches and diarrhea. Three people remained in the hospital for further observation, said Wang Guobin, an official with the Guangzhou Municipal Public Health Bureau.

A total of 11 food poisoning cases had been reported since 10 a.m. on Thursday in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong. A total of 46 people from the Tianhe and Zengcheng districts were involved.

Mr Wang said all of them had eaten pig organs, which, according to an initial investigation, were contaminated by Clenbuterol, a feed additive.

The chemical, dubbed "shouroujing" which literally means "lean meat essences for pigs" in Chinese, can prevent pigs from accumulating fat, but is poisonous to humans and can be fatal.

It is banned as an additive in pig feed in China.

Mr Wang said a further investigation is underway to find out the source of the additive.

Friday, February 20, 2009Print This Page
Stronger Jaws Mean More Milk
BELGIUM - Why do piglets with a lean muscle gene show improved survivability and quicker growth?


The answer, according to university researchers in Belgium, is that the muscle they use for suckling is more developed at birth, and this helps them get life-saving colostrum quicker and more efficiently.

 
Image: NPA
Rattlerow’s Optimus and Maximus boars, which carry the Bettergen Muscle+ gene, pass on higher lean meat content, less back fat and increased uniformity.

But producers using these sires have also been seeing piglets with significantly more vitality and improved survivability.

Researchers at Ghent university have discovered the link — piglets inheriting the gene have a better developed masseter muscle. The masseter muscle is in the jaw and is integral to piglets’ sucking reflex.

“A better developed masseter muscle can significantly benefit suckling and colostrum intake and it is this that can positively influence neonatal piglet survival,” said geneticist Geert Spincemaille, of Rattlerow Seghers Belgium.

Research shows piglets sired by boars that pass on the Bettergen Muscle+ gene to offspring have markedly higher intakes of colostrum than genotypes that do not carry the gene.

Friday, February 20, 2009Print This Page
Trichinellosis Outbreak in Viet Nam
VIET NAM - The veterinary authorities have sent an Immediate Notification to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about a new outbreak of trichinellosis in pigs.



The Vietnamese authorities sent the Immediate Notification to OIE dated today (20 February), reporting a new outbreak of trichinellosis.

It occurred in Lang Cheu, in Bac Yen district of Son La province in the north of the country, near to the border with Lao. The outbreak started on 5 December 2008.

In a herd of 735 village pigs, 158 were affected, all of which were destroyed. The outbreak is now described as 'resolved'.

The causative organism has been identified as Trichinella spiralis, the muscle worm.

The last reported case of trichinella in Viet Nam was in 1991.

Thursday, February 19, 2009Print This Page
S Korea Halts Spanish Pork Imports
SEOUL - South Korea halted imports from a Spanish meat exporter after finding excessive levels of antimicrobial agents in frozen pork, the government said today.



According to TCMNet, the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS) said more than permitted levels of Enrofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin were found in a 23-ton shipment of pork that was brought into the country on 9 February.

Tests showed that the pork from the meat exporter identified as 10.06579G had 0.7 parts per million (ppm) of the agents in the pork it shipped, higher than the max limit of 0.1 ppm set by Seoul.

Monday, February 23, 2009Print This Page
Blue Ear and FMD Reported in Viet Nam
VIET NAM - Blue ear and foot and mouth diseases occurs in Quang Ninh province.



Blue ear disease (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus) disease has reoccurred in Hai Yen hamlet, Yen Hai commnune, Yen Hung district, Quang Ninh province, according to the Veterinary Department.

In total, 76 pigs of 22 households have been infected with the epidemic, reports an official source.

Also in Quang Ninh, the outbreaks of the foot and mouth disease has been found in Ma Thau Pho and Khay Phau mountain villages, Quang Duc commune, Hai Hai district, with a total of the infected 29 buffalos raised by eight households.

The provincial Veterinary Service has taken urgent measures to put out the epidemics to prevent their spreading.

Monday, February 23, 2009Print This Page
Costs Rising for Dutch Farmers
NETHERLANDS - Dutch farmers are coming under pressure from rising costs as the result of, among others, higher environmental costs. Denmark is now the lowest-cost producer in the EU.



Production costs in the Dutch pig farming sector will continue to increase in the coming years, primarily as a result of regulations pertaining to animal welfare and the environment, according to a report from Wageningen University Research. In several other European countries, these costs will also increase but not as much. These are some of the conclusions presented by LEI in a study carried out for the Livestock and Meat Product Board and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

The production costs calculated for a typical Dutch pig farm in 2007 were €1.40 per kg slaughter weight, excluding VAT and production rights.

In 2007, the Netherlands and Denmark had the lowest production costs for farming pigs of all the European countries studied. However, if the cost of production rights purchased is also taken into account – €0.05 per kg – the Netherlands lags behind Denmark in terms of production costs. France has a solid third position on the list, whereas Germany, Poland and Spain – where production costs are around €0.20 higher – are quite far behind the numbers one and two in Europe. The production costs in the US and Brazil are significantly lower than in Europe.

In spite of the high cost of stalls, labour, disposal of manure etc., the production costs in the Netherlands are relatively low due to higher productivity and production efficiency.

Effect of regulations on costs
The differences in production costs between various countries are also affected by differences in regulations between these countries. Differences in government regulations are often the result of differences in the amount of space available. In the Netherlands, important cost items include disposal of manure, reduction of emissions to the environment, production rights and animal welfare measures. In 2007, the additional costs attributable to government policy in the Netherlands amounted to a total of €0.20 per kg of slaughter weight. These additional costs are expected to increase to €0.26 by 2013. In other countries, these additional costs are not as high, and they are also not expected to increase as much by 2013.

By 2013, the cost of production (including the cost of production rights and extra costs due to policy measures) in the Netherlands is expected to increase to €1.51 per kg, thereby surpassing the expected cost of production in Denmark and France (€1.44 and €1.49 per kg respectively). Although some of our EU competitors also face increasing production costs as a result of policy measures, the conclusion is that the production cost position of the Dutch pig farming sector will be weakened somewhat.

In order to maintain a good level of competitiveness within the EU, it is important to have a common set of regulations in place as well as a similar interpretation and implementation of these regulations. There are also other factors besides production costs which influence the competitive position of the Dutch pig farming sector. The level of professional and entrepreneurial skill, the knowledge and information infrastructure, the availability of capital, and an export-oriented meat industry all deliver significant advantages to the sector.

Present EU policy on genetically modified crops and meat-and-bone meal plus the lack of Non Trade Concerns within the framework of the WTO negotiations have had a negative impact on the production costs and competitiveness of the European pig farming sector relative to non-European countries, concludes the Wageningen UR report.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009Print This Page
Recent Human Case of Swine Flu Questioned
EU - Following a case of swine flu infection found almost by accident in a female pig worker in Spain, Van Reeth from Ghent University and Nicoll of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in Stockholm have published a paper analysing the potential risks to human health. Their report exposes important gaps in knowledge about zoonotic influenzas.



Swine are susceptible to the same influenza A virus subtypes as humans – H1N1, H3N2 and H1N2 - and the histories of influenza in pigs and people are closely linked. Many swine influenza viruses are a result of reassortment and their genes are composed of human and avian and/or swine virus genes. Indeed, it is known that both human and avian influenza viruses occasionally transmit to pigs, and that pigs can serve as 'mixing vessels' for these viruses, meaning that viruses can exchange genetic material and lead to the production of a new 'hybrid' virus. This has led to the thinking that perhaps pandemic viruses could emerge following reassortment in pigs. However, since nobody has observed the start of a pandemic, there remains no direct evidence to make this more than a theory.

Influenza is one of the major causes of acute respiratory disease in pigs, but subclinical infections are also common. Unlike the non-zoonotic swine fevers, it is not a disease that comes under the European Union's harmonised Animal Disease Notification System and there are no routine European surveillance data. The symptoms and pathogenesis of influenza in pigs show remarkable similarities with those of seasonal influenza in humans, but the epidemiology is different. Part of this is due to the structure of the swine industry and the extremely rapid turnover of the swine population, with the constant introduction of immunologically naïve animals into swine herds. In swine-dense regions in particular, most pigs show serological evidence of having been infected with influenza by the end of the six-month-long fattening period, and many of them have undergone simultaneous or consecutive infections with two or even three swine influenza sub-types. Unlike human viruses in temperate climates, swine influenza viruses circulate at comparable levels year round. Also, the viruses in Europe differ significantly in their antigenic and genetic make-up from those circulating in North America, even though they consist of the same H and N subtypes, and hence findings in the United States should not necessarily be extrapolated to Europe.

Humans in contact with pigs occasionally become infected by swine influenza viruses. This issue of Eurosurveillance reports on a case of swine influenza in a middle-aged woman in Spain which came to attention almost by chance. The woman worked with pigs and suffered a mild self-limiting influenza-like illness for which few physicians would have taken a swab. However the general practitioner (GP) she consulted happened to be part of an active influenza surveillance scheme and a specimen was taken. This was passed on to the laboratory as a regular surveillance specimen and then recognised as being influenza A (H1N1) phylogenetically close to European H1N1 swine influenza viruses. Retrospective epidemiological investigations found no evidence of any further cases apart from the GP who had experienced similar symptoms but was not laboratory-confirmed.

Infection with swine influenza virus has been detected sporadically in humans since the 1950s and the human disease is usually clinically similar to disease caused by infections with human influenza viruses. However, complications that include pneumonia and death have occasionally been reported in the literature in otherwise healthy adults without underlying disease. On the whole, human infections with swine influenza virus, to date, have been different and much milder than those seen with avian influenza A (H5N1) and more similar to infections with low pathogenic avian influenza viruses. Single generation person to person transmission has been reported but appears to be rare and chains of transmission have not been observed in general. Though it is not entirely clear what measures public health authorities should pursue when they discover such human infections, it seems reasonable to regard them as comparable to low pathogenic avian influenza and so deserving a similar approach.

There is one well-known exception to these generalisations. In 1976 an outbreak of swine influenza virus infections in humans was detected in recruits in a military camp in Fort Dix, New Jersey in the United States. The presumed link to pigs was never discovered but there was extensive human to human transmission, with over 200 infections resulting in 12 patients requiring hospitalisation and one death. This was human to human transmission of a novel influenza virus causing some significant human pathology, which today might be described as WHO Pandemic Phase 4. The unilateral decision was made by the national authorities to develop, produce and deploy a specific pandemic vaccine based on the new strain. However, the infections petered out and the vaccine was seemingly associated with occurrence of Guillain-Barré syndrome in a few recipients. Mass immunisation was terminated but the incident remains part of public health lore and has been reviewed extensively for its learning points.

While the reported case in this issue and other sporadic cases pose little direct threat to humans, they expose important gaps in knowledge about these zoonotic influenzas. The true incidence of swine influenza in humans, for example, is unknown. Recent serologic studies in the United States, where there has been more attention to zoonotic swine influenza than in Europe, have consistently found higher seroprevalence rates and higher antibody titres against all swine influenza viruses in those working with pigs than in non-swine-exposed controls. This, and the fact that the current infection was detected by accident, suggests that the few reported cases of symptomatic swine influenza in humans represent a larger number of undetected infections among those in contact with pigs. However, there are no comparable data available for Europe and the prevalence of swine influenza in humans cannot be estimated from such studies because of the possibility of partial serologic cross-reactivity in the haemagglutination-inhibition test between human and swine influenza virus strains of the same subtype. Epidemiologists have tried to adjust for this by statistical methods, but they agree "it is possible that the elevated titres compared by proportional odds modeling do not correlate with infection". This stresses the need for combined serological and virological surveillance in humans exposed to pigs to gain this information. There have been recent developments in surveillance of influenza in European swine populations, which is an essential starting point for the monitoring of swine flu in humans. A fruitful initiative has been the European Surveillance Network for Influenza in Pigs (ESNIP) (2000-2009), a European Commission-funded project that ends in March 2009.

Even if the magnitude of the risk of swine influenza virus infections to human health is unknown, it seems unlikely to be high. Two factors are probably restricting infection of humans, though both are neglected research areas. Firstly, the host range of influenza viruses is generally very restricted by a limited fitness of a given virus in a different host species. Studies on the infectivity of animal influenza viruses for cells of the human respiratory tract, and the molecular determinants involved, have however so far focused almost exclusively on avian influenza viruses. Secondly, immunity to human H1 or H3 influenza viruses may partially protect against infection with swine viruses. But animal model experiments on this issue are lacking. This type of research is needed if we want to understand the risk of zoonotic influenza based on scientifically proven facts rather than hypotheses.

The unknown element is the risk of reassortment to produce a novel virus, even a pandemic strain either in the pig 'mixing vessel' or in a human dually infected with a human and pig strain. In the United States, there have recently appeared triple reassortant swine influenza viruses with avian, human and swine genes and these have then transmitted to humans. Fortunately, these and similar swine influenza viruses that can infect humans have not yet met any of the criteria to cause a human pandemic. The true risk can only become clear if epidemiological investigations are combined with experimental research. Some scientists have advocated offering seasonal influenza vaccination to persons working with pigs to reduce their risk of getting infected. However, experience with workers with domestic poultry on this point is not encouraging. In one audit attempt in Europe, uptake of the vaccine was low and those offered immunisation were confused as to what they were being protected against. The possible efficacy of human influenza vaccines against swine influenza virus infection, on the other hand, also remains unknown.

Following the discovery in Spain, it seems likely that more human infections will be detected and reported as has happened in North America. While such events will mean an improvement in surveillance rather than an increased risk, they highlight another area where closer human and animal surveillance is needed around a poorly understood zoonosis.

Reference
Van Reeth K. and A. Nicoll. 2009. A human case of swine influenza virus infection in Europe – implications for human health and research. Euro Surveill. 14 (7): pii=19124.

, February 23, 2009Print This Page
More Than 70 Ill after Eating Contaminated Organs
CHINA - At least 70 people in Guangdong province have suffered food poisoning over the past three days after eating pig organs contaminated with clenbuterol, the local health authority said over the weekend.



Three people remain in hospital for observation while the remaining have been discharged after treatment, said Wang Guobin, an official with the Guangzhou municipal public health bureau, according to official sources.

The victims complained of stomach ache and diarrhoea after eating pig organs bought in local markets since Thursday. All of them were from the Tianhe and Zengcheng districts of Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, the authorities said on 21 February.

Mr Wang said initial investigations show that the pig organs were contaminated by clenbuterol, an additive that is banned in pig feed in China.

Three people have been detained for suspected involvement in raising and selling the contaminated pigs. Local authorities have found that the contaminated pigs came from farms in several places in Hunan province.

Clenbuterol, dubbed 'shouroujing', can prevent pigs from accumulating fat, but is harmful to humans and can be fatal. Clenbuterol residue often accumulates in organs such as the liver and lungs.

One of the largest food poisoning cases involving clenbuterol happened in Shanghai in September 2006 when 336 people were hospitalized after eating pig meat or organs contaminated with the additive.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009Print This Page
Yeast Product Approved for Sows
EU - Biosprint (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) has been approved by the FEEDAP Panel for sows at the minimum recommended dose, and no safety concerns were raised by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).



European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says that there is evidence that Biosprint (Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Prosol S.p.A., Italy), when fed to sows over the entire production cycle, is able to produce a significant beneficial effect on the weight of litters and individual piglets was demonstrated in the three studies provided. Therefore, the FEEDAP Panel concludes that the efficacy of Biosprint is demonstrated in sows at the minimum recommended dose.

Following a request from the European Commission, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of the product as a feed additive for sows. This product is already authorised without a time limit for use in piglets, cattle for fattening and dairy cows.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is considered by EFSA to have QPS status and therefore no assessment of safety for the target species, the consumer and the wider environment is required. The use with sows is considered unlikely to introduce hazards for users of the products not already considered.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009Print This Page
Seven Suspects Detained Over Poisoned Pork
CHINA - The municipal public security bureau of Guangzhou yesterday claimed to have identified nine people allegedly responsible for the recent case of pig-feed poisoning, which has made about 70 people ill in the capital of South China's Guangdong province in the past week.



Seven of the nine suspects have been detained, an official of the bureau said, adding all the suspects were either individual vendors or wholesale sellers, with their businesses in Tianhe, Zengcheng and Baiyun districts.

The bureau said two other suspects were at large, but their trail had been tracked and they "would be brought to justice soon".

The first case of pig-feed additive poisoning was reported in Guangzhou on 19 February, after which about 70 people have taken ill with the same symptoms.

The victims complained of stomach-aches and diarrhea after they ate pig organs bought from the local markets.

After an investigation, local authorities found that the pig organs were contaminated with a banned food additive, clenbuterol - dubbed shouroujing - which prevents pigs from accumulating fat, but is harmful to humans, sometimes even fatal.

Investigators also found that the contaminated pigs came from several farms in Hunan province and were imported to different markets in Tianhe, Zengcheng and Baiyun districts of the capital through a wholesale market in Tianhe.

The municipal health bureau yesterday told China Daily that no fresh cases of food poisoning had been reported since Saturday.

"There have been no reports of new cases of poisoning since Saturday, and all the near-70 patients have been treated and discharged from the hospitals," Huang Shui, a publicity official of the bureau, said.

The city's industrial and commercial department has been "closely monitoring" markets selling pigs, the Guangzhou Daily reported yesterday