AMALAPURAM: The death of pigs in large numbers for the past five days in Amalapauram and nearby villages in the Konaseema district has left the people worried. The animal husbandry department is clueless about the reasons for the deaths.
According to municipal commissioner Vommi Appala Naidu, the majority of the deaths were recorded in Amalapuram municipality limits, where 200 pigs died on January 24.
The next day, at least 300 pigs died, a pig breeder Amaladasu Chinnayya said that it was for the first time that an incident took place in Amalapuram.
The pig rearers can earn Rs 1 lakh just by selling the meat of a fully grown pig and now, they are lamenting that they would incur huge losses. He urged the authorities to probe into the cause of the death. Officials have conducted an autopsy on two pigs and collected the samples and sent them to the Kakinada disease diagnostic laboratory.
Veterinary doctors suspect that the cause of death might be Classical Swine Fever, a highly contagious disease among the pigs and the animal husbandry department is providing vaccination to pigs.
The vaccine, which is manufactured in Bangalore has reached Vijayawada and would be shifted to Konaseema district, the district officer of the animal husbandry department Dr Adidala Jaipal said. He said around 2,000 vials are being arrived in the district and would be administered to the pigs as early as possible. Jaipal said several pigs were rescued by local animal husbandry staff intervention.