Dead Pigs in River Raises Fear of Water Contamination

Sanitation workers collect dead pigs from Shanghai's main waterway on March 11. Residents expressed fears over possible contamination of drinking water. (Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images)

Dead Pigs found in a river in Shanghai spark fears of water contamination.

By Sunday night officials had fished the bodies of 2800 pigs out of the Huangpu river, which runs right through the center of Shanghai, according to Chinese state controlled media.

Officials suspect the bodies may have been dumped upriver. Tags on the pigs ears show that they come from Jiaxing City in east China’s Zhejiang Province, according to state media.

Residents fear water contamination and spread of disease. 

Tests revealed the presence of a bacteria called porcine circovirus.  Porcine Circovirus Associated Diseases can cause wasting and death in piglets over six weeks according an to Iowa State University database.  It is also associated with reproductive failure and neuropathy in adult pigs.  

The bacteria is not known to cause diseases in humans according to the World Health Organization.

Water, soil and air contamination is a major issue in China, one that the government has been slow to address.

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