The Assam government on Tuesday announced in a statement that the state has seen the death of 14,465 pigs across 10 districts of the state. The reason for death is reportedly due to African swine flu that has severely affected the state.
The African swine flu is a highly contagious and severe disease found only in domestic pigs. The disease is termed as a transboundary disease that is usually spread by live or dead pigs, domestic or wild pigs, or even pork products. The virus belongs to the Asfarviridae family that also infect ticks of the genus Ornithodoros. Although the symptoms of Classical Swine Flu and African Swine Flu are similar, both are completely unrelated.
Atul Bora, the minister of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary assured that the Assam government is taking adequate steps to contain the spread of the disease. In a video conference, he said,
“Till now, 14,465 pigs have died in 10 districts, due to African swine flu. The government is taking all possible steps to stop the spread of the disease. The Assam government is concerned about farmers and discussing with officials all the ways to help farmers to overcome the crisis.”
Measures to prevent the spread in place
In order to prevent the spread of the disease, the state government has issued directions to the farmers to use a deep burial method to bury dead pigs. The state has also advised them to disinfect the pits using bleaching powder, salt, and sodium chloride. The Minister also said that the situation has been notified to the central government and the Assam government is waiting for the directions from the center.
According to the census of 2019, the state of Assam had 21 lakh pigs which is now being reported as 30 lakh pigs. After assessing the situation in Assam, the other north-eastern states have been on high alert and have asked the farmers to not bring pigs from other states. The Kaziranga National Park has dug 2 km long and six feet deep pits to protect wild boards from contracting the African swine flu. The annual business of pork in the northeastern region amounts to 8,000-10,000 crores with Assam being the biggest contributor.
Source: Livemint
