While the Japanese Encephalitis (JE) has taken an epidemic form in Malkangiri district, senior scientists of the Centre for Animal Disease Research and Diagnosis (CADRAD), IVRI, Izatnagar, have advised people not to go in for culling of pigs and that there is no harm in consuming pork.
As people out of fear are culling the pigs, the scientists have advised against such deterrent action.
However, as a preventive measure the CADRAD scientists have advised people to switch over to sheep and goat rearing instead of pig farming, said sources in the Odisha Department of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department (DFARD).
Three CADRAD senior scientists, who recently visited Malkangiri on the request of DFARD Secretary Bishnupada Sethi, have suggested various activities in view of the situation arising out of the JE impact. Sethi also visited the endemic areas in Malkangiri.
After the CDRAD team consisting of Dr Vishal Chandra, Dr Gourav Kumar Sharma and Dr Himani Dhanze visited Malkangiri extensively along with the State’s Director Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Pratap Chandra Dash, they have suggested various action plans in this regard.
As the scientists advised segregation of pigs away from human habitations, the veterinary team headed by Dash isolated nearly 10,000 pigs and kept them in 140 enclosures three km from the habitations.
Serum samples of pigs are being collected. Till date, 242 samples have been collected and sent to the CADRAD for testing out of which 77 samples were found positive and 71 negative.
Village-level nodal committees of the affected 33 villages are supervising the fogging, cleaning, hygiene and awareness campaigns.
Similar type of intensive surveillance activities are going on in Nilagiri block of Baleswar district and Brahmagiri block of Puri district and also in Mayurbhanj, said DFARD sources.
A total of 34 Serum samples from Brahmagiri and Nilagiri and 12 samples from Mayurbhanj have been collected and sent by air to the CADRAD for screening of JE in pigs, informed the sources.