The rapid response team of the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) on Monday culled 18 pigs following the outbreak of African swine fever at Thanneermukkom in Alappuzha.
Following the death of two pigs at a farm in ward 5 of Thanneermukkom grama panchayat recently, the AHD sent samples of dead animals to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, for analyses, which tested positive for African swine flu. “Nine pigs and nine piglets at two farms, including the affected one and another farm within a 1-km radius of the hotspot, have been culled humanely and carcasses buried as per the standard operating procedure. Mopping will be conducted on Tuesday,” said an AHD official.
African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs. However, it is not transmitted to humans.
As a precautionary measure, areas within a 1-km radius of the hotspot have been declared as a contagious zone. Areas within a 10-km radius have been declared as a surveillance zone. Besides, the movement and sale of pigs, pork and pig manure to and from the affected area has been banned.
