Mosquitoes get infected by biting an infected animal, such as a feral pig, and then pass it onto humansSince March this year, the NT Health Department has identified at least 44 feral pigs infected with the virus across the Top End, including in the Victoria Daly, Litchfield, Marrakai-Douglas Daly and Cox-Daly region, as well as the Tiwi Islands.It is unknown if these pigs are carrying disease.
Speaking to ABC Radio Darwin, local wildlife photographer Tissa Ratnayeke said he was surprised to find "a huge big mob of pigs" at Leanyer Swamp on Saturday."All up there were probably close to 20 pigs in that area, which really surprised me at 6:30 in the evening," he said.
The Northern Territory government said previous testing of a "deceased feral pig in the Leanyer Swamp area found it was not carrying Japanese encephalitis", and that "surveillance" was ongoing.Further down in Darwin River, about 60km south of the city, Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow was recently confronted by nine feral pigs on the edge of her property while gardening in the backyard.
"Bella and Poppy, our two dogs, start barking... next thing, these two big pigs and their piglets appear around the corner," she said.Ms Goodfellow says the pigs will likely return to the property. Ms Goodfellow said the pigs were eventually chased off by the dogs, but have returned to the property several times since."Most people around here are seniors — as we are — and are concerned.The pigs don't appear too concerned by Ms Goodfellow's dogs.
Good food source after everything collapses.
Oh, so it’s ok to name viruses after the country of origin again.
Alt headline: A possibility that Japs may hit Darwin.🍸😎👍
“Feral” anything is not good