With Swine fever confirmed...Steps on for mass vaccination of pigs
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 24 2013:
With the confirmation that the disease which has claimed many pigs to be Classical Swine Fever caused by a serotype (strain), the State Veterinary and Animal Husbandry is all set for a mass vaccination of pigs to prevent the spread of the disease in the State.
Towards this end, the VAH Department has procured 50,000 vaccines from Madhya Pradesh based Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biological, said Director of VAH Dept, Dr Saidokhum Joute.
Speaking to media persons today at the office chamber of the VAH Director, Dr Ng Ibotombi, expert of the dept and Dr L Chaoba, Microbiologist said the disease which claimed many pigs since the last few days is Classical Swine Fever caused by a single strand, positive sense RNA belonging to the family Flaviviridae, genus pestivirus.
The experts said the fever has been confirmed to be a Classical Swine Flu caused by a serotype (strain) after testing blood sample of the pigs infected with the fever.
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The experts also elaborated that the term swine flu is a human disease and is not applicable to swine.
The experts further said that transmission of the disease to human is not possible through consumption of the meat and handling the meat.
Meanwhile talking to The Sangai Express, Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Minister Govindas Konthoujam said that he was clueless why an official announcement has not been made till today.
Saying swine fever has been confirmed, the Minister said that official announcement must be made by the Director of the State Veterinary Department, who is the nodal officer.
The Minister said that certain mandatory procedures must be followed before laying down the road map to tackle the disease.
Saying that medicines for mass vaccination have already been ordered, the Minister said that the medicines are likely to reach Imphal within two-three days time.
However, the Minister refused to divulge whether the ordered vaccines are Korea or Indian manufactured medicines.
The Commissioner, Director and high level officers of the Department could not be contacted.