OIE Reports Blue Ear Disease Outbreak in Chile

CHILE - The Chilean veterinary authorities have reported an outbreak of blue ear disease, also known as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), at a pig farm in Santiago.
calendar icon 16 October 2013
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The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) received an immediate notification yesterday, 15 October. The outbreak was first observed on 3 September and confirmed on 9 October after an antibody detection ELISA test was carried out at the Agrovet laboratory.

Further tests - antibody detection ELISA (on 10 October), immunohistochemical test (11 October) and real-time reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR) (15 October) - were carried out at the Official Laboratory Lo Aguirre and the University of Concepción, where all tests alluded to the fact that the causal agent of the outbreak was the artevirus.

The affected population comprises breeding females and their offspring. Some of the main clinical signs in females were cough, fever, loss of appetite, blue ears, vulvar edema, abortions, premature births, increase of the number of mummified fetuses and birth of weak offspring. The piglets showed signs of respiratory distress and diarrhea.

A total of 8229 pigs showed signs of susceptibility, out of which 2554 cases were reported. A total of 1651 deaths were recorded. No animals were destroyed and/or slaughtered.

According to the OIE, the outbreak is limited to a compartment which corresponds to the population in a single commercial farm. Until the date of this report, there is no evidence of other outbreaks.

The source of the outbreak has not been determined.

Further Reading

Find out more information on PRRS by clicking here.

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