Within the past week, the number of acute diarrhea patients has dropped by more than 90 percent. During the past 10 days, only 13 cases were reported with no patients testing positive for the Vibrio Cholera virus.

In another development, by May 22, blue-ear pig disease had been reported in 10 localities nationwide.

Earlier on May 21, the relevant agencies had detected the disease in Phuoc Tho breeding farm in Ward 8 of Vinh Long town in the Mekong Delta. As of May 16, 223 out of 1,112 pigs on the farm had been infected by the disease and nine had already died.

The provincial Veterinary Department is urgently intensifying measures to control the epidemic.

Currently, 10 provinces have not passed the 21-day period needed to declare themselves free from the disease. They are Ha Tinh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Lam Dong, Thua Thien-Hue, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh and Vinh Long.