African Swine Fever Confirmed in Wild Boar in Malappuram; 10-km Surveillance Zone Declared

Web desk

Published on Nov 08, 2025, 12:22 PM | 2 min read

Malapppuram: African Swine Fever (ASF) has been confirmed in a wild boar found partially decomposed in the Marutha region under the Vazhikkadavu Forest Range near Nilambur. Following the detection, the district administration has declared a 10-km surveillance zone to prevent any potential spread of the virus.

District Collector V.R. Vinod issued the order on Friday, placing six panchayats — Vazhikkadavu, Edakkara, Pothukallu, Chungathara, Karulai and Muthedam — under intensified surveillance. The decision followed laboratory confirmation from samples collected by forest and veterinary officials earlier this week.

According to officials of the Animal Husbandry Department, no pig farms are located within a one-kilometre radius of the site. Hence, culling of domestic pigs will not be allowed for the time being.

Officials have also imposed strict restrictions on the sale, transport and distribution of pork, pig meat products and pig feed within and outside the notified area. Movement of live pigs will remain suspended until further orders.

Veterinary teams have been deployed across the surveillance zone to monitor both domestic and wild pig populations. The department has urged farmers to remain vigilant and to immediately report any symptoms of illness or unexplained deaths among pigs.

“Although the infection has so far been confined to a wild boar, early detection and containment are essential to avoid any spillover to farm pigs,” a senior veterinary officer said.

Officials clarified that African Swine Fever affects only pigs and wild boars and poses no risk to humans or other animals. The viral disease, for which no vaccine or treatment is currently available, can cause high mortality among infected animals.

The officials have also advised farmers to strengthen bio-security measures — including disinfection of vehicles, restricting entry of outsiders, and avoiding swill feeding — to reduce the risk of transmission.

Disinfection drives and awareness programmes are being carried out in the affected panchayats by the Forest and Animal Husbandry departments. Random sampling and monitoring of wild boar populations will continue over the next few weeks.

Kerala has reported cases of African Swine Fever since 2022, with outbreaks previously detected in Wayanad, Idukki and Thrissur districts. Officials said the current detection in Malappuram appears to be isolated, but surveillance has been stepped up to ensure early response in case of further spread.