African swine fever: Two more wild boars die in MTR

Udhagamandalam: Two more wild boars have died of African swine fever in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the past four days, taking the tally of total deaths due to the infection to 29.
D Venkatesh, field director of MTR, said the forest department is taking all steps to control the spread of the virus infection among wild boars.
In addition, three wild boars were found dead in the Gudalur range of forests. Forest officials have been waiting for lab reports to confirm the cause of the death. However, officials from the animal husbandry department said there had been no case of African swine fever among pigs in private farms in the Gudalur taluk so far.
S Bagavath Singh, regional joint director, animal husbandry department, said, “There are around 1,190 pigs reared in 10 farms in the Gudalur taluk. No case of African swine fever has been reported so far from those farms. Officials are visiting the farms daily and taking stock of health of the pigs.”
Meanwhile, collector S P Amrith, in a press release said, “There is no ban to sell pork in the district. However, transportation of pigs to the neighbouring states or from there for sale is not allowed till the infection is brought under control. Security is tightened at the eight checkposts in the Gudalur taluk. Stringent action will be taken against offenders who trying to transport pigs.”
The owners of the pig farms are advised to spray bleaching powder around the farms. They are also told to fence their farms so that wild boars don’t enter them.
“Further, feeding pigs with wet wastes from restaurants and vegetable wastes is banned as a precautionary measure,” it added.