HANOI, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- A Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) outbreak among pigs has occurred in Vietnam's southern Bac Lieu province since early this month, local newspaper People reported Thursday.

    The disease affected 14 pigs in Dong Hai district, the newspaper quoted the Department of Animal Health under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as reporting.

    Local veterinary agencies have culled the infected pigs to prevent the disease from spreading.

    Agriculture minister Cao Duc Phat on Jan. 9 asked bordering provinces and relevant agencies to intensify management over cross-border transport and trade of animals, especially before and after the approaching Lunar New Year festival which falls in February.     

    PRRS was first recognized in the United States in the mid-1980s and is now present in most pig producing countries. The symptoms include reproductive failure, pneumonia and increased susceptibility to secondary bacterial infection.