Japan begins execution of thousands of pigs after cholera outbreak

Japanese authorities are struggling to control the "swine fever" on Wednesday, after monitoring cases of the virus in several locations in central Japan.

Local government soldiers and government workers began slaughtering some 6,600 pigs at a farm in Toyota City in Ichi province after the outbreak of swine fever, also known as "pig cholera", was confirmed there.

Since January, the farm has moved pigs to six facilities in Nagano, Gifu, Aichi, Mei, Shiga and Osaka provinces, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The farm, for its part, it has detected the virus in all places mentioned, except "Mai". While the Nagano district government also began slaughtering 2,400 pigs at a farm in the village of Miyada.

Japan's Kyodo news agency said the government could end up with a total of 15,000 pigs. "We are facing a critical stage," Agriculture Minister Takamori Yoshikawa said at a formal meeting.

In late January, the Gifu provincial government executed about 2,500 pigs, the seventh outbreak of swine fever since September in Japan. Before that, the country had not recorded any outbreaks of the virus since 1992.
TOKYO (Reuters)