OUR REPORTER AIZAWL, MAY 29
African Swine Fever (ASF) continued to wreak havoc in Mizoram, killing 4,751 pigs and piglets in a little over two months since March, an official said.
The department joint director (Livestock Health) Dr. Lalhmingthanga said that with the death of 98 pigs on Sunday, the outbreak of ASF has so far claimed as many as 4,751 pigs and piglets causing a monetary loss to the tune of Rs.19 crore. He said that the first pig death due to ASF was reported on March 21 at Lungsen village in south Mizoram’s Lunglei district bordering Bangladesh.
Since then the dreaded pig disease has spread to least 9 districts Aizawl, Lunglei, Mamit, Serchhip, Lawngtlai, Khawzawl, Hnahthial, Siaha and Champhai. Of the 11 districts in the state, Kolasib and Saitual districts are ASF free as of now, he said.
At least 99 villages and neighbourhoods in nine districts have been declared as “infected areas” of ASF with Aizawl district having the highest infected areas of 56 villages or localities, followed by Lunglei district, which has 26 villages as infected areas, according to Dr. Lalhmingthanga.
The present live pig population in these 99 infected areas is 32,339, he said.
The official said that the department has also received unusual death of 107 pigs outside ASF infected areas, which is suspected to be caused by ASF.
The cause of the pig deaths are yet to be ascertained, he said.
He added that the state has not reported the outbreak of ASF in the past and the present outbreak is believed to be caused by pigs imported from neibhouring states and countries. Mizoram shares inter-state borders with Assam, Manipur and Tripura and also international boundaries with Bangladesh and Myanmar.
ASF is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting both domestic and feral swine of all ages.
Experts said that it is not a threat to human health and cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans.
No vaccine is available for the virus till date.
(Source: The Mizoram Post Vol. 18 Issue 348 Aizawl Monday 31 May 2021 http://www.themizorampost.net/page-view?date=31-05-2021&page_no=1)