Amid pandemic, African swine fever hits Assam; govt mulling mass culling of pigs

Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, outbreak of deadly African Swine fever virus in Assam has been confirmed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research High Security Disease Laboratory in Bhopal. Earlier

Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, outbreak of deadly African Swine fever virus in Assam has been confirmed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research High Security Disease Laboratory in Bhopal.

Earlier samples of domestic pigs from affected districts in the state were sent to the lab on April 26. Over 2,000 pigs have died across Assam so far.

Assam’s pig farms have more than 20 lakh pigs and the news of the virus killing hundreds of the pigs mainly in Dhemaji, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur and Biswanath Chariali has created panic and anxiety among the entrepreneurs and farmers.

Experts told Northeast Live that the virus had hit pigs in parts of China in recent times. They said the virus is not known to transmit from animal to humans.

Pigs in adjoining Arunachal Pradesh had died of a similar disease around February. The virus is suspected to have reached Assam via Arunachal Pradesh.

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