Following the chief minister’s directives, the city commissioner has ordered the culling of around 22,000 Australian sheep that are infected with a contagious virus.

“In the first phase, the veterinary staff will administer lethal injections to the sheep,” Roshan Ali Sheikh said on Sunday.

“In the second, the carcasses will be buried in a big ditch. Heavy machinery is being sent to the farm where the sheep are present.

The sheep are infected with scabby mouth, or orf, a contagious virus of the Poxviridae family and genus Parapoxvirus that attacks damaged skin areas on the lips of sheep. It can infect humans, causing painful red swelling and vesicles at the site of the infection. The lesions generally take two months to heal and may be accompanied by fever.

The Sindh livestock authorities had also confirmed that consumption of the infected sheep imported from Australia was injurious to health.

The chief minister had taken notice of the issue after Adviser on Relief Haleem Adil Shaikh had sent him a letter, informing him about the infected sheep.

The consignment of sheep was destined for Bahrain. However, it was rejected there after it was found that the sheep were infected.

“Our ambassador in Bahrain has confirmed that these sheep were sent back because they were infected,” Shaikh told The News.

“I have written a letter to the chief minister, asking him to blacklist the person who imported these sheep and also shut down his business.”