• Wild boar population in Sri Lanka facing risk of being lost

The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) stated that although it is difficult to prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF) among wild animals, including wild boars, all possible measures are being taken to contain it.

It was recently reported that Sri Lanka faces the risk of its entire wild boar population being lost due to ASF.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, DWC Wildlife Health Director Dr. Tharaka Prasad said that ASF is a highly contagious disease that spreads rapidly. As a result, he said that it has become a major problem for domestic pigs and has now spread to wild boars in the country. To contain it, he said that the DWC has implemented measures in national parks, including stopping the entry of uncooked pork products. “Despite these efforts, unusual wild boar deaths have been reported, particularly in urban areas. We can’t completely stop the virus; it has however been controlled within national parks. However, we don’t know when it might resurface. It is challenging to manage the situation as wild animals including wild boars roam freely and consume food disposed of by people. We can only control it to some extent and that is being done.” he added.

Swine flu (H1N1) is a viral infection named after its similarity to a respiratory illness found in pigs. In 2009, an H1N1 pandemic infected millions of people worldwide.