Virus kills pigs in Papua
PAPAU - Pig farmers in Jayapura say a viral disease afflicting their livestock has led to the deaths of dozens of swine over the last three weeks.Kelly Deda, a resident of Ayapo kampong in Sentani Timur district, Jayapura, said Thursday the virus had been evident in pigs in the area since October, but only recently had pigs begun dying almost daily.
Kelly said four of his six pigs had died, and that many of his neighbors were dealing with the same problem. "We're confused because every day there is a dead pig," he said.
He said pigs infected with the virus showed unusual symptoms before dying, including an unwillingness to move, floundering and fluid running out of their noses and ears.
The head of the provincial livestock office, AR Pintadewa, told The Jakarta Post his office had sent biological samples from the dead pigs to the veterinary laboratory in Maros, South Sulawesi, to identify the virus.
Of the 12 samples sent to the laboratory, two were seropositive for hog cholera, he said.
Source: The Jakarta Post
10 February 2006
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