Madhya Pradesh: Alert in Rewa after ‘swine virus’ kills 2,300 pigs in 15 days

BHOPAL: The death of many pigs has put the Rewa district administration on alert and prohibitory orders have been enforced restricting the sale and transport of pigs in the entire district.
Officials said, African Swine fever virus has claimed the lives of about 2,300 pigs in Rewa in the last fortnight ever since the infection was detected.
Around two weeks ago,pigs in the district started dying. Subsequently officials of the animal husbandry department, tested samples and African Swine fever was detected in the pigs.
“All protocols are being adhered to. Epicentr of the infection is ward number 15 in Rewa and an area of 1 kilometre radius around ward 15 has been notified as infected area,” district collector Rewa, Manoj Pushp told TOI.
He added, “All measures, including culling are being taken; mortality is now reducing. Earlier 100-150 pigs were reported dead per day now it has reduced to 10-15 incidents a day”.
“This infection doesn’t spread to other animals or humans. Those owners whose animals had died after the notification of the disease in the district are also being compensated as per the norms against the death of their animals”, he said.
“Along with the epicentre and areas under 1 kilometr of the epicentre transportation, buying, selling or transporting the pigs is prohibited in the entire district under section 144,” the collector said, in a chat with TOI.