African swine fever reported in Kerala's Kottayam

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African swine fever has been reported in a private farm at Meenachil Panchayat in Kerala's Kottayam district, officials said on Thursday.

Kottayam district collector Dr P K Jayasree said precautionary measures have been taken to prevent the spread of the disease in the district.

The collector, who is also the chairperson of the district disaster management authority, has directed the animal husbandry officials to cull and burry the pigs in the farm where the disease has been confirmed.

As many as 48 pigs have been culled and burried so far, an official said.

"An area of ??one kilometer around the pig farm where the disease has been confirmed has been declared as an infected area and a radius of ten kilometers as a disease surveillance zone," the district collector is quoted as saying in a government release here.

Measures including closing down of the shops selling pork meat in the affected area and stopping transportation of pigs, pork meat and fodder from there to other areas have also been taken, the district authorities said.

The African swine fever was reported from some farms in Wayanad and Kannur districts few months ago.