Update for 11 March 2013/28 Raby’ ath-Thani 1434/21 Esfand 1391/30 Yi-Mao 4711

Officials in the Chinese province of Shanghai say they have recovered 2800 dead and decomposing pigs from the river!  The river is the main source of drinking water for the Songjiang area.  Shanghai officials are now suspecting mass pig deaths in other provinces.

Since last year pigs have been dying by the tens of thousands.  In Shanghai dead pigs are collected by government health officials, but in other upstream provinces the farmers just throw the pigs into the river.  One report said in January 2013 more than 10000 pigs died, and the deaths are now averaging 300 per day! Health officials suspect a bacteria is causing the deaths.

10 March 2013/27 Raby’ ath-Thani 1434/20 Esfand 1391

In Shanghai, China, more than 900 dead pigs were pulled from the Huangpu River.

The Shanghai Agriculture Committee is trying to find out what killed the pigs, and where they came from.  So far, no one has reported any missing pigs.  Farmers have not reported any epidemics among their animals.