The deadly Streptococcus suis disease was found in five more
cities across southwest China's Sichuan Province on Friday.
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Also on Friday, one more person was killed by the bacteria, which
is carried by pigs, bringing the total death toll to 32.
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The five new sites where infections have been found are: provincial
capital Chengdu, Zigong, Suining, Luzhou, and Mianyang. Twenty-five
cases were identified in the five cities in the past three
days.
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Since the outbreak started on June 24, official reports have
previously only identified Ziyang and Neijiang as the affected
places.
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The Ministry of Health said the new cases were discovered as a
result of the local health authorities' strengthened publicity
efforts and were not necessarily new infections.
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Chen Nenggang, deputy mayor of Ziyang, said the city has issued
more than 2 million posters urging farmers not to slaughter or eat
sick pigs.
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By noon on Friday, 163 confirmed human cases of the disease in
Sichuan had resulted in 32 deaths, 24 patients were in a serious
condition.
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Thanks to increased publicity, most farmers are aware of the grave
consequences of butchering or eating dead or sick pigs, said Li
Jing, chief of the publicity department of the Ziyang Party
committee.
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On Wednesday, three reporters from a Hong Kong television station
paid a farmer in Ziyang 40 yuan (US$4.9) to dig up a pig that had
died of the disease.
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"They took pictures of the pig to show what an infected pig looked
like. But they violated the quarantine law as digging the pig up
could spread the disease," Li said. Fortunately, local health and
quarantine officials quickly put a stop to the exhumation.
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Meanwhile, four local officials in Ziyang have been removed from
their posts on the grounds of dereliction of duty.
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In Dongfeng Town, Party head Wei Guicheng and Yang Kaiming, the
town's deputy chief, were removed from their posts after they
failed to prevent a farmer from butchering sick pigs. The farmer is
still in hospital.
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In Qingfeng town, quarantine official Pan Dinggang was sacked
because he allowed pigs to be transported outside an affected
village. Name and location of the fourth official were not
disclosed.
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Health Minister Gao Qiang went to Neijiang from Ziyang on Friday.
He asked local health authorities to provide prompt medical
treatment to every patient. He also asked medical workers to visit
every villager to provide them with medical support.
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In Beijing, Minister of Agriculture Du Qinglin asked provinces and
municipalities, especially those bordering the infected regions, to
ensure contingency plans are in place.
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(China Daily July 30, 2005)