Kerala Village Reports African Swine Flu, Kannur Collector Orders Culling In 2 Pig Farms

The district animal husbandry officials said that the flu was first identified at a private farm located at Malayampadi on Friday.

The officials have also banned the transportation, distribution and sale of pork in the area for three months in the region. 

African swine flu has been reported in Kanichar village in Kerala on Friday. On account of the outbreak of infection, the district Collector has ordered to cull the pigs in two farms in the district. The district animal husbandry officials said that the flu was first identified at a private farm located at Malayampadi on Friday. As a result, the district authorities have ordered to cull the pigs in that particular farm and another farm nearly 10 km in radius.

The official sources told PTI that one km from the pig farm has been declared infected while another radius of 10 km has been announced as a disease surveillance zone. The officials have also banned the transportation, distribution and sale of pork in the area for three months in the region. 

The officials have also ordered to bury the carcasses of the pigs as per the procedure, a report on PTI said. 

The Collector told the local officials to submit an urgent report on the issue. The district administration sought details including whether the pigs from the affected farm were transported to other farms in the last two months.

They have also been instructed to notify the disaster management authority if any fresh case of disease was reported in the village panchayat at the earliest. 

The veterinary officer in the hamlet was directed to take urgent measures to check the further spread of the disease.

The Collector is also the chairman of district disaster management authority. 

Last year, Wayanad and Kannur were declared as two hotspots for African swine fever in August. Kerala state Animal Husbandry Department and other district officials ordered the culling of infected pigs as the disease was spreading and pig farms in both districts were brought under strict vigilance. The people working on farms were also advised to remain under 24-hour quarantine.