Ranchi, June 30: Ranchi Veterinary College under Birsa Agriculture University (BAU), Ranchi, has issued public notices asking farmers across the state to get their cattle vaccinated against swine fever after deaths of pigs were reported from Jharkhand and Bihar.

“Swine fever has nothing to do with the H1N1 virus. Vaccines are readily available, which can control the spread of swine fever. Though swine fever is also caused by a virus attack, there is no medical evidence to prove that this type of fever in pigs is transmitted to humans,” Ranchi veterinary College, head of department of animal genetics and nutrition, under BAU, Sant Kumar Singh told The Telegraph.

However, as a precautionary measure against worldwide reports of swine flu, pig farmers are being advised through radio and local television to maintain absolute hygiene at their farms, desist from feeding pigs with stale food and to ensure all their pigs are vaccinated, Singh said.

Reports of deaths of pigs are filtering in from all parts of the state, particularly from the rural and far-flung areas where farmers have very little access to information. The situation is more acute in neighbouring Bihar where the swine fever is taking on an epidemic form.

Singh pointed out that every year several hundred of pigs die in Jharkhand due to swine fever. The virus is known to be most active during the summer and monsoon though in winter, it is dormant because of the drop in temperature.

In case of an attack of swine fever, the virus kills nearly 80 per cent of the pigs within a span of five to six days.

An effective vaccine is available for control of swine fever. The pigs need to be vaccinated every year. The cost of the vaccine is very nominal, about Rs 20 per one ml.

Singh, however, pointed out that the vaccines need to be procured from either Calcutta or from Guwahati where they are produced by the state owned biological production division.

These vaccines also need to kept under controlled temperature.

Last week, two fresh cases of swine flu were reported in the country, taking the total number of people detected with the influenza A (H1N1) virus to 80.