Bangkok, Sep 25 (IANS): Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives said that it had ordered more than 1,000 pigs to be culled in an attempt to prevent the outbreak of PRRS (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome) virus.

The ministry's Department of Livestock Development, on Friday, told the press that more than 1,000 pigs have been culled after it received reports on September 18 about the PRRS outbreak in Thailand's northern province of Lampang.

"Currently the department has been able to prevent the outbreak from spreading out of the declared areas," said the Xinhua news agency quoted Sorn Theepatimakorn, head of Lampang Livestock Development Department as saying.

However, Sorn said the total number of pigs being eliminated could be higher as officials are still collecting data from local farmers.

Sorn urged farmers to inform department officials immediately if they find that their pigs had died of unknown causes so that officials can come in and take blood samples to determine the cause of death.

The latest survey revealed that most of the affected farmers are small entrepreneurs with only five to 60 pigs in their barns, he said.

The department has currently restricted transportation of pigs to within a 5-km radius from the outbreak's epicenter, and also halted inter-provincial transportation of pigs.

According to the department, pigs which died of PRRS pose no threats to humans.