The epidemic across the country had been under initial control by effective vaccines and prevention measures, said Vice Agriculture Minister Yin Chengjie.

He said the situation in regions along the Yangtze River had been relatively more serious because the disease is inducible under wet and warm conditions and the ministry had allocated sufficient vaccines to these areas.

By the end of August, more than 100 million pigs had been immunized, but the disease control situation remained grim because the breeding methods in some regions lagged behind other regions and long-distance pig deliveries were adding to the hidden trouble, he said.

The vice minister called on local veterinarians to step up disease control efforts and continue to carry out research on the disease. He also required transportation authorities to keep close watch on pig deliveries to prevent spread of the disease.

In July, about 47,000 pigs were infected by blue-ear pig disease, down 51.5 percent from the previous month. By Aug. 22, the disease had infected 257,000 pigs in 26 Chinese provinces, of which 68,000 died and 175,000 were destroyed, according to the MOA.

The highly pathogenic disease, also known as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, can be fatal for pigs, but the vaccinated pigs will no longer be infected by the disease.

Controls stepped up
China's state media says the disease is continuing to spread throughout the country and vaccinations have been stepped up.

The Xinhua newsagency says a quarter of a million pigs are now reported to have been infected by a mysterious disease affecting the country's pork industry and the epidemic, known as blue-eared pig disease, has killed 68-thousand pigs.

Further Reading

- Find out more information on PRRS by clicking here.