Virus kills 10,000 pigs in E. Timor

DILI, East Timor: More than 10,000 pigs have died in the province in recent weeks due to a deadly virus, a local official said.

Suminarwati Lenggu, head of the local husbandry service, said the virus, which has spread to six provinces in East Timor, is believed to have come from Bali.

"We believe the virus came from Bali. This is the first time the Hoc Cholera virus has attacked pigs in the region," she said on Thursday as quoted by Antara.

Over 30,000 vials of vaccine have now been distributed throughout the 13 districts in the province, but Lenggu said it may not be sufficient to protect the approximately 374,000 pigs in East Timor.

"To restrict the area affected by the virus attack, we have banned the export of pigs from this regency to others," she explained adding that money was being sought to buy vaccine.

She estimated that if the disease was not checked, the province would lose Rp 22 billion (US$6.4 million).

She allayed fears of a threat to humans saying that "the virus attack does not endanger human health or that of other animals." (mds)