African Swine Fever Confirmed In Chikkaballapur, 57 Pigs Culled As Precaution

Chikkaballapura: African swine fever has been found in pigs at a farm in Hebbari village of Chintamani taluk of Chikkaballapur. As a precautionary measure, a decision has been taken by veterinary authorities to cull 57 pigs.

After 100 pigs died at the farm since August 19, teams from the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services department visited the site to collect blood samples for testing. These were later sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal, and the report from the NIHSAD has confirmed the presence of African swine fever.

Following this, officials have ordered the culling of 57 pigs to prevent further spread. Movement of pigs from the farm has also been banned.

“A visit was made after reports of pig deaths over the past week. With swine fever confirmed, containment measures are underway. African swine fever is a highly infectious disease affecting domestic and wild pigs, and there is no specific treatment or vaccine. However, the virus does not transmit to humans, so the public need not panic,” said Dr. Rangappa, Deputy Director, Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services.

As part of standard protocol, pigs within a one-kilometre radius of the infected farm are being culled.

This is not the first outbreak in Karnataka. In June last year, African swine fever was detected at a farm in Gorabala village of Ilkal taluk in Bagalkot district. In that case, too, infected pigs were destroyed after test results confirmed the disease.

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