Over the past several days, thousands of dead pigs have been found in river in China, the New York Times reported Monday, citing official state media:
Some reports said the pigs had likely been dumped by farmers into the Huangpu River, which slices through the heart of Shanghai. Officials in Shanghai were trying Monday to determine who exactly had dumped the pigs, which were first discovered last Thursday. The numbers increased quickly over the weekend and the total is expected to grow as search barges looking for pigs return to Shanghai.
Xinhua, China’s official state media, reported Monday that a pig virus had been found in a water sample where the pigs were found. Xinhua reported: “The virus causes porcine circovirus disease in pigs but does not spread to human beings, a commission statement said.”
The New York Times put the number of dead pigs at more than 2,800, while Xinhua reported that 1,200 pigs had been found. Reuters, meanwhile, reported that more than 2,200 dead pigs had been found.
