African swine fever: Over 480 pigs culled in Patiala district

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 7

Over 480 pigs have been culled in the district to prevent the spread of African swine fever. Officials at the Animal Husbandry Department said they had identified eight epicentre of the virus, of which culling of pigs is complete at all but one.

As a silver lining, the department has also recorded negative results for the fever among its latest samples. Officials of the Animal Husbandry Department said they had culled as many as 480 pigs in the region. They said, “Till now eight epicentress of the virus have been identified, including the areas of Choti Nadi and Sanauri Adda, where the virus was first detected on August 19. It was later identified at Bilaspur, Majal Khurd, Rawas Brahmna and Gagraula villages, besides Babu Singh Colony and Baba Jiwan Singh Nagar.”

The culling of pigs is going on at Baba Jiwan Singh Nagar. “We have completed culling at seven places while the process is underway at one. The pigs are being culled with electric stunners”, said Gurdarshan Singh, Assistant Director, Animal Husbandry Department.

Pig farmers at Rawas Brahmna village informed officials of the department, who carried out the culling of their pigs last week, that some pig rearers had 30 to 50 pigs, while the number of pigs at other farms crossed 150. “The officials collected samples from our farms, but despite negative results, our pigs had to be culled as the farm came within 1- km radius of the epicenter. Piggery owners in violation of the directions of the administration even sold their pigs in the market after collection of samples”, a pig farmer informed the officials.

“The spread of the virus is under control as some of the samples that were recently collected from Faggan Majra, Sanaur, Tafaazalpura and Rajpura colony were found negative for African swine fever”, said Gurcharan Singh, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry Department.

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