Following the increasing number of brain fever cases in the city, district administration officials have established that illegal pig rearing could be the reason for the surge. Four cases of brain fever have been reported in the city so far. Confirming the district administration’s claim, the health department said that pigs are being bred illegally and it is not being regulated.
Brain fever is a medical condition in which there is inflammation in a part of the brain and it causes symptoms that seem like fever.
The health department has recorded unscientific breeding of pigs in Jala, Kannuru, Chikkabanavara and Bommasandra.
Bangalore Mirror reported that of the four cases, the health department has filed criminal cases against three. Health officials claim that pig rearing in the city has emerged as a mafia activity and that taking action against the breeders had become a difficult task.
Recently, Bengaluru district in-charge minister Ramalinga Reddy had asked health officials to conduct a survey on illegal breeding and take police officials' help to cut down on the breeding of pigs. With intermittent rains, residents of Bommasandra fear the worst — an onset of swine flu.
Speaking to the newspaper, Minister Ramalinga Reddy said, "I have asked the officials from the department concerned to take help from the Tahsildar and the police to curb the illegal rearing of pigs. Even a survey will be conducted by the officials to know the extent of pig-rearing and where all it takes place illegally in the city. However in North Bengaluru, most of the illegal pig rearing activities have been identified; and in coming days, we will stop this to prevent brain fever from spreading."
Bangalore Mirror quoted one of the residents, Vikas Manjunath, a civil engineer saying, "Our proximity to these pigs makes us most vulnerable to swine flu. Our children play around here and it is really worrisome. We keep reading about swine flu in the newspapers and we are really scared. The officials concerned have to stop this pig menace."
The residents claim the root cause is the garbage piled up for days near the houses.
They told the newspaper that and some slum-dwellers have used them to rear pigs in the garbage piled up near the houses. Today, there are hundreds of pigs which threaten a brain fever outbreak in these areas.
HSR layout residents complain that their sleep is disturbed by loud noises made by the pigs at night. Besides, the animals block vehicular movement, and even drag garbage on the road.
The residents have appealed that with swine flu threat and a few cases this season, the authorities concerned could come and get rid of the pigs and address the garbage issue too.