Kerala Takes Action Against African Swine Fever Outbreak with Mass Pig Culling

In response to an African Swine Fever outbreak in Kerala's Thrissur district, the state has culled around 310 pigs. The Animal Husbandry Department deployed Rapid Response Teams to manage the situation. Despite the severity, ASF poses no threat to humans. Further surveillance and containment measures are underway.

Around 310 pigs have been culled in Kerala's Thrissur district following an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF), the Centre announced on Sunday.

The outbreak, detected in Madakkatharan Panchayath, prompted immediate action from the state's Animal Husbandry Department, which deployed Rapid Response Teams on July 5 to cull and dispose of pigs within a 1 km radius of the epicentre, according to the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

This marks the latest incident in India's ongoing fight against ASF, which first emerged in the northeastern states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in May 2020, spreading to around 24 states and union territories nationwide. The ministry announced that further surveillance within a 10 km radius of the epicentre is planned as per the action plan.

Although ASF is severe, the ministry reassured the public that the disease is not zoonotic and cannot spread to humans. However, the absence of an ASF vaccine highlights the complexities in managing animal diseases.

The National Action Plan for Control of ASF, established in 2020, specifies containment strategies for outbreaks. Amid this new outbreak, the central government marked World Zoonoses Day on July 6, underscoring the interconnectedness of animal and human health.

Despite the challenges, the government has emphasized that not all animal diseases threaten human health and continues to refine its approach to managing zoonotic diseases through vaccination campaigns and the establishment of a National Joint Outbreak Response Team under the One Health approach.

(With inputs from agencies.)