With African Swine Fever (ASF) detected in pigs in Wayanad district, the Animal Husbandry department, Thiruvananthapuram district office, has directed farmers to immediately alert the nearest veterinary hospitals about unnatural deaths of animals in the farms.
Veterinary officers should also be alerted about unnatural deaths among wild pigs in panchayats bordering forest areas.
Kerala had clamped a 30-day ban, effective from July 14, on the transportation of pigs, pork and pork products and pig manure (including pig excreta) to and from the State following ASF outbreaks in pigs in Bihar and the northeast States earlier this month.
ASF does not affect humans, but it is a highly contagious haemorrhagic viral disease found in domestic and wild pigs. There is no treatment or vaccine for ASF in pigs at present.
After being alerted by the Centre about the outbreaks in Bihar and the northeast, Kerala had tightened vigil at the inter-State border check posts to prevent smuggling of the animals into the State during the ban.
