Sweden hit by 'blue ear'
// 12 Jul 2007
Outbreaks of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory
Syndrome (PRRS) have been reported in two Swedish pig farms, according to
veterinary officials at the National Board of
Agriculture.
About 3,000 pigs were destroyed at a pig farm in the southern province of
Skåne when the first outbreak of this serious disease was reported in early
June.
Veterinary authorities are unaware of how the farm became contaminated, and
say that the pigs did not show any signs or symptoms of contamination.
Later, inspectors discovered another outbreak, approximately 100 km from
the first contaminated farm. "We don't understand where the contamination is
coming from and hopefully our investigation will tell," said Peter Wallgren at
the Swedish National Veterinary Institute.
Swedish veterinary authorities are worried that PRRS has spread to more farms in Sweden. "If all the herds
that we are testing prove positive for PRRS, the virus has already spread across
Sweden," said Wallgren. Test results are expected later this week.
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