Aizawl, June 06: Altogether 4,189 pigs and piglets have died in the outbreak of the African Swine Fever (ASF) since its recurrence in Mizoram from early March, state animal husbandry and veterinary department officials said.
The officials said 13 pigs died on Sunday as against 39 deaths on Saturday and the casualties during the past few days were mainly from Champhai on the Myanmar border while a few pigs died in the Aizawl district.
As many as 3,531 pigs have been culled of which 134 were culled on Saturday and seven on Sunday.
The officials said the dreaded porcine disease infestation has been detected in 57 villages covering seven districts of the total 11 districts of the state.
Also Read: Are African Swine Fever and African Swine Flu same or two different things?
What is African Swine Fever?
African Swine Fever is a contagious viral disease that affects both wild and domestic pigs. It spreads rapidly through contact with infected animals or even contaminated trucks, clothing, and food. No vaccines are available for ASF.
ASF cases have surfaced in Assam, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura, and even parts of Nagaland and Manipur.
The recent outbreak comes only a few months after Mizoram witnessed a decline in the spate of ASF cases. Last year, over 33,000 pigs died in Mizoram due to ASF.
According to the state department’s data, a maximum of these cases (376) were reported in the Aizawl district, while other confirmed cases were reported from Champai, Lunglei, and Saitual districts.
According to the official from the Mizoram animal husbandry department, the outbreak occurred last year as a result of infected pigs being imported from Bangladesh.
In Sikkim, the government has issued area-specific notifications in the Namchi, Gangtok, Pakyong, and Mangan districts restricting the entry of live pigs and pig products where ASF has been reported.
In Assam, the official quoted above said that similar area-specific restrictions have also been imposed in and around the epicenter of the outbreak, in the state’s Goalpara and Charaideo districts. Earlier this year, there were also reports of an ASF outbreak in some parts of Nagaland.
In the last two years, outbreaks were also seen in Assam (where 38,700 pigs died over 18 months), Meghalaya (where 300 pigs died), and across districts of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Tripura.
