Unknown contagious disease stalks pigs
|
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 3: An unknown disease has infected many pigs and it is spreading fast in some parts of Manipur including Phibou, Kakching, Ukhongsang, Kumbi and Moirang Khunou.
Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press club here today, Manipur Progressive Pig Farmers’ Association (MPPFA) publicity secretary L Bishorjit said that pig farmers have been selling off their infected pigs instead of consulting experts or veterinarians about the unknown disease.
After slaughtering these infected pigs, pork centres have been selling the uninfected meat but the infected parts are not disposed of properly.
As such, the infected parts or meats are brought to roads and rivers by dogs and cats. Once the infected meat reach rivers, the water become contaminated and this poses health hazards to people who use the contaminated water as well as healthy or uninfected pigs, Bishorjit said.
He said that there was no proper response when they dialled the Veterinary Department’s toll free number 1962.
When some farmers requested the Veterinary Department to conduct a post mortem of the carcass of pigs which died of the unknown disease, the farmers were told that no post mortem can be conducted without approval of the (Veterinary) Director.
Even as the farmers volunteered to bring carcasses of the pigs killed by the unknown disease, some officials of the Veterinary Department told the farmers to first talk with the Director.
Deterred by such a cold response, many farmers have been selling off their infected pigs thinking that getting something is better than losing everything, Bishorjit said.
He said that all infected pigs are first treated with different medicines including antibiotics, paracetamol etc.
All these medicines have their own withdrawal periods. Consumption of the meat of pigs treated with such medicines before the withdrawal periods poses serious risks to human health. However, many pork centres are now selling meat of infected pigs, the MPPFA publicity secretary said before urging the Veterinary Department to look into the matter.
He said that transportation of infected pigs raises the chances of spreading the unknown disease to healthy pigs and other uninfected farms.
He then urged the district administrations concerned to take up necessary control and preventive measures.
Bishorjit said that pigs infected by the unknown disease are not responding to the medicines they administer.
When medicines are not working, the only thing pig farmers can do is take biosecurity measures, he said.
He appealed to all pig farmers not to let other people get inside pig pens.
He also appealed to pig farmers to change their dresses before entering their own pig pens if they have visited others’ pig pens/farms. Lime and bleaching powder must also be sprinkled on the places where pig dungs are collected as well as along the drains through which other wastes are washed out, he said. Bishorjit appealed to the Veterinary Department to identify the unknown disease and take up necessary control and containment measures.
IMPHAL, Nov 3: An unknown disease has infected many pigs and it is spreading fast in some parts of Manipur including Phibou, Kakching, Ukhongsang, Kumbi and Moirang Khunou.
Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press club here today, Manipur Progressive Pig Farmers’ Association (MPPFA) publicity secretary L Bishorjit said that pig farmers have been selling off their infected pigs instead of consulting experts or veterinarians about the unknown disease.
After slaughtering these infected pigs, pork centres have been selling the uninfected meat but the infected parts are not disposed of properly.
As such, the infected parts or meats are brought to roads and rivers by dogs and cats. Once the infected meat reach rivers, the water become contaminated and this poses health hazards to people who use the contaminated water as well as healthy or uninfected pigs, Bishorjit said.
He said that there was no proper response when they dialled the Veterinary Department’s toll free number 1962.
When some farmers requested the Veterinary Department to conduct a post mortem of the carcass of pigs which died of the unknown disease, the farmers were told that no post mortem can be conducted without approval of the (Veterinary) Director.
Even as the farmers volunteered to bring carcasses of the pigs killed by the unknown disease, some officials of the Veterinary Department told the farmers to first talk with the Director.
Deterred by such a cold response, many farmers have been selling off their infected pigs thinking that getting something is better than losing everything, Bishorjit said.
He said that all infected pigs are first treated with different medicines including antibiotics, paracetamol etc.
All these medicines have their own withdrawal periods. Consumption of the meat of pigs treated with such medicines before the withdrawal periods poses serious risks to human health. However, many pork centres are now selling meat of infected pigs, the MPPFA publicity secretary said before urging the Veterinary Department to look into the matter.
He said that transportation of infected pigs raises the chances of spreading the unknown disease to healthy pigs and other uninfected farms.
He then urged the district administrations concerned to take up necessary control and preventive measures.
Bishorjit said that pigs infected by the unknown disease are not responding to the medicines they administer.
When medicines are not working, the only thing pig farmers can do is take biosecurity measures, he said.
He appealed to all pig farmers not to let other people get inside pig pens.
He also appealed to pig farmers to change their dresses before entering their own pig pens if they have visited others’ pig pens/farms. Lime and bleaching powder must also be sprinkled on the places where pig dungs are collected as well as along the drains through which other wastes are washed out, he said. Bishorjit appealed to the Veterinary Department to identify the unknown disease and take up necessary control and containment measures.