Hong Kong hospitals were on the lookout Sunday for a mysterious illness apparently related to pig farming that has killed nine people in a southern Chinese city and reportedly causes fever-like symptoms, vomiting and internal bleeding. Twenty people were hospitalized with the disease from June 24 to July 21 in the city of Ziyang in southern Sichuan province, the Hong Kong government said Saturday, citing information from Sichuan officials.Nine died, one was discharged and 10 are still in the hospital, including six in critical condition, according to the Hong Kong government. World Health Organization spokesman Bob Dietz said the cases may be linked to farmers who have slaughtered either pigs or sheep. The Chinese government has dispatched a team to investigate. For now, the disease doesn’t appear to be spreading, Dietz said.
