African swine fever outbreak reported in Kerala's Thrissur district

THRISSUR: An outbreak of African Swine Fever, a highly infectious and fatal disease affecting both domestic and wild pigs, has been detected on a farm in a village located in the Thrissur district of Kerala, according to officials on Friday.
As a result of the outbreak, the Thrissur district collector has mandated the culling of 310 pigs at a private farm in the Madakkathara panchayat of Thrissur district, as the disease can easily spread from one pig to another through direct contact with bodily fluids from an infected animal.
"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.
The culling process will be carried out by a team of doctors, livestock inspectors, and attendants, and additional primary disinfection measures will be implemented.
The area within a one-kilometre radius of the affected farm has been classified as a disease-affected zone, while the area within a 10-km radius has been designated as a disease surveillance zone.
"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.
The Animal Husbandry Department will investigate whether pigs were transported from the affected farm to other farms within the last two months and will also conduct strict checks at checkposts and other entry points in the district to prevent the illegal transportation of pigs and pork from Thrissur or other areas.
Following the confirmation of the disease in Madakkathara panchayat, precautionary measures will be taken in other areas of the district as well.
If the swine fever virus is detected in other areas, the relevant municipal/government secretaries, village officers, and rural development officials should inform the appropriate veterinary officer and then take the necessary steps to control the spread of the virus.
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.
(With inputs from PTI)