20 pigs isolated, to be culled in Namakkal over swine flu fear

NAMAKKAL: The Animal Husbandry Department has quarantined four people and over 20 pigs in a farm near Rasipuram after a pig died allegedly of African swine flu. The department will be screening a nine km radius around the infected area to identify if there are other cases.

On March 9, K Rajamani of Kallangulam had taken the carcass of a pig to the Namakkal Veterinary College for post-mortem. Following this samples were sent to the Central University Laboratories in Chennai and the National Institute of High-Security Animal Disease in Bhopal.

 “On Thursday, we received a report that one of the samples sent for diagnosis tested positive for African swine flu,” the joint director of animal husbandry Dr S Baskar said. “The virus does not affect humans, but there is a risk of virus spreading. So temporarily people in the farm have been quarantined. We have informed the situation to collector Shreya P Singh and requested a culling order. The 20 pigs will be culled and deep burial will be undertaken within the farm or in an isolated location, Baskar said. 

Further, he advised people not to consume pork till the situation becomes normal. Collector Shreya P Singh said, “There is no cause for concern and the pig sty where infection was reported has been quarantined. The Animal husbandry department is monitoring the situation. We have instructed farmers about the incident at the agriculture grievance day meeting.”