African swine fever outbreak in Thrissur, control measures initiated

Thrissur: An outbreak of African Swine Fever, a highly contagious and lethal disease affecting both farm-raised and wild pigs, has been confirmed on a farm in a village within Kerala's Thrissur district, officials reported on Friday. As a precautionary measure against the spread of this disease, which can easily transmit through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected pigs, the Thrissur district collector has mandated the culling of 310 pigs at a private farm in Madakkathara panchayat of Thrissur district.

"The disease was confirmed in the pigs owned by Kuttalapuzha Babu of Veliyanthara in the 14th ward. The district Collector has directed the district animal husbandry officer to cull the pigs and bury them," according to an official release here.

A team comprising doctors, livestock inspectors and attendants will conduct the culling process, and further primary disinfection measures will also be taken, it said.

The area within a one-kilometre radius of the affected farm has been declared a disease-affected area, and the area within a 10-km radius has been declared a disease surveillance area.

"The transportation of pork from the affected areas, the operation of such farms, and the movement of pigs, pork, and feed from the affected areas to other parts of the district, as well as the movement of these items from other areas into the affected area, have been prohibited until further orders," the release said.

Officials from the Animal Husbandry Department have announced plans to investigate whether pigs from the affected farm were transported to other farms within the past two months. Additionally, stringent inspections will be conducted at checkposts and entry points across Thrissur district to prevent any unauthorised transportation of pigs or pork from Thrissur or neighbouring regions.

 In response to the confirmed outbreak in Madakkathara panchayat, precautionary measures will also be implemented in other areas throughout the district, as stated by officials. If the swine fever virus is detected in other areas, the municipal/government secretaries, village officers and rural development officials concerned should inform the relevant veterinary officer and then take the necessary steps to control the spread of the virus, they said.

According to the officials, African Swine Fever (ASF) is different from other types of fever. Since it is a disease that affects only pigs, the possibility of transmission to other animals or humans is low, authorities have informed.

PTI