8.9 Disposal of carcasses
Disposal of carcasses should be carried out in such a way that the carcasses should no longer constitute a risk for further spread of the pathogen to the susceptible animals by direct or indirect means. In case of ASF, method of safe disposal includes(i) rendering, (ii) incineration (iii) burning or (iv) deep burial on the spot (OIE, 2019b). Incineration or rendering is the most effective and easy way to dispose of carcasses. However, the movement of infected carcasses to the rendering plant may again pose a certain risk of spreading the disease and might not be feasible in Indian situations. Burning of carcasses in an outdoor area can also be done in several ways: pyre burning, pit burning, above-ground incineration or a combination of the above methods. However, deep burial is a better option which can be done through trench burial or mass burial and in both the cases, the carcasses should be disinfected. Burial pits should be deep enough to ensure a soil layer of at least 1 metre above the carcass to prevent scavenging and to avoid contamination (Guberti et al., 2018).