As many as 370 pigs were culled as African Swine Flu was confirmed at a pig farm at Kodassery grama pachayat in Thrissur district on Tuesday.
Earlier, the district animal husbandry officer had ordered the culling of pigs in a 1-km radius of the pig farm where African Swine Flu was reported. The carcasses were buried in line with the protocol under the Union government’s plan of action.
Body samples were sent for lab tests when 80 pigs at the farm died a few days ago. Culling has been carried out as the tests confirmed the presence of African Swine Flu. However, there is no other farm functioning in a 1-km radius of the affected farm, sources said.
Meanwhile, authorities have strengthened preventive measures to check further spread of the disease. The Aimal Husbandry department has been checking whether pigs were taken to any other farms from the infected farm in the last two months. Joint inspections have been done by the regional transport office (RTO), the police and the Animal Husbandry department at check-posts to check illegal transportation of pigs or pork across the border.
A rapid response team (RRT) of the police, the Animal Husbandry department and local body institutions has started functioning at the Kodassery grama panchayat. The municipality/panchayat secretaries, village officers and rural dairy development officers have been directed to report immediately any symptoms of swine flu are detected in their areas.
