10 August,2026 07:21 PM IST | Thrissur | mid-day online correspondent
Farmers have been advised to temporarily avoid bringing new pigs or piglets into their farms during the local disease situation. Representational Pic/File
African swine fever (ASF) has been detected among pigs at the Pig Breeding Unit of the Animal Husbandry Department in Kunnamkulam, officials said on Monday.
Officials said that there was no cause for public concern as the disease affects pigs and does not spread to humans.
The disease was detected after samples collected from the unit were tested at the National Institute for High Security Animal Diseases laboratory in Bhopal.
Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Isaac Sam said African swine fever affects pigs and does not spread to humans or other domestic animals.
The Animal Husbandry Department has also reassured the public that there is no risk of the disease spreading to people.
As a precautionary measure, the district administration has declared an area within a one-kilometre radius of the affected farm as an infected zone.
A 10-kilometre radius has been designated as a surveillance zone.
The restrictions came into force on August 9 under the Standard Operating Procedure outlined in the Centre's National Action Plan for the control of African swine fever.
District Collector Shikha Surendran has directed the District Animal Husbandry Officer to regulate the movement of pigs to other districts.
Authorities have also been asked to regulate the distribution of pork from the affected areas and the operation of meat shops in line with the Centre's disease-control plan.
A Rapid Response Team has been formed under the Animal Husbandry Department to coordinate measures to contain the disease.
The department has issued strict biosecurity guidelines to pig farmers and workers.
Farmers have been advised to temporarily avoid bringing new pigs or piglets into their farms during the local disease situation, as per the PTI.
Any newly introduced pigs should be kept separately from the main herd for at least three weeks and monitored for symptoms.
Farmers have also been advised to limit unnecessary visitors and vehicles, avoid visiting other pig farms and disinfect footwear, vehicles and equipment brought from outside.
Authorities have advised farmers to avoid feeding pigs with leftover food from hotels and markets, commonly known as swill feeding.
If such feeding cannot be avoided, the leftover food should be boiled for at least 20 minutes before being given to pigs.
Farmers have also been told not to feed pigs with slaughterhouse waste, particularly waste from facilities where pigs are slaughtered alongside chickens and buffaloes, according to the PTI.
The department has advised farmers to prevent contact between domestic pigs and wild boars and to report any unusually high number of wild boar deaths.
Any unusual symptoms or sudden deaths among pigs should be reported immediately to the nearest government veterinary hospital.
Officials warned that concealing an infection, selling pigs suspected of having the disease or slaughtering infected animals could result in wider transmission, the news agency reported.
The authorities said the preventive measures are aimed at containing the outbreak and protecting other pig farms in the district.
(with PTI inputs)
