African swine fever: culling of pigs complete at Kottiyur in Kannur

The culling of pigs at a private farm at Kottiyoor in Kannur was completed on Wednesday (November 14) as a preventive measure against the spread of African swine fever.

A 48-member rapid response team led by District Animal Husbandry Officer Dr. V. Prasanth and Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. P. Biju oversaw the culling of 193 pigs across three farms. The operation, which began at 9 a.m., concluded by 12:30 p.m., with the carcasses buried as per biosecurity protocol.

The team was divided into specialised groups responsible for culling, disinfection, sanitation, and surveillance. District Collector Arun K. Vijayan, who also heads the District Disaster Management Authority, had ordered the immediate culling of pigs at the infected Royal Pig Farm, owned by M.T. Kishore, along with two neighbouring farms in the region. An area within 1-km radius of the infected farm has been declared an infected zone, and a 10-km radius has been designated as a disease surveillance zone.

In line with containment measures, the Collector has imposed a three-month ban on pork distribution, operation of pork shops, and transportation of pigs within the district. Feed supplies at the affected farms have been destroyed, and premises have been disinfected as per mandated procedures.

The district office of the Animal Husbandry department will investigate potential transfer of pigs from the infected farms over the past two months. Meanwhile, the department, with the support of the police and the Regional Transport Office, is conducting stringent checks on at check posts to prevent illegal movement of pigs.