Assam: Central team to assess African Swine Fever outbreak in state

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in the state has reached a critical stage, and a central government team will arrive here on Wednesday to assess the situation. New epicentres of the disease are emerging every passing day, forcing the local administrations in the affected districts to ban the sale and purchase of live pigs, pork and pork products.

The latest outbreak of ASF in the state was recorded in 2020, after a hiatus of several decades. Since then, 2025 is now regarded as the worst year for the spread of the disease. More than 200 epicentres emerged this year in several districts of the state. The total number of epicentres of ASF from 2020 to 2025 is 363, as of October 29, 2025. With 200 of 363 epicentres recorded in this year alone, the gravity of the situation is apparent.

Sources from the Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Department said that the ASF outbreak in 2025 has not only affected Assam but also states like Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, the neighbouring state of Meghalaya and other NE states. Transportation of pigs from outside the state has been banned as a precautionary measure. Pigs affected by the virus almost never survive, as the mortality rate among pigs often reaches 100%. The viral disease is highly contagious and of a devastating nature. There is currently no effective vaccine or medicine to prevent ASF, making it even more challenging to control or combat the outbreak of this viral disease.

Around 2,500 pigs died of the disease, and nearly 6,000 pigs were culled by the authorities in the state this year.

The sources further said that a central team comprising officials of the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, is arriving in Assam tomorrow. A team from the state Veterinary department will assist the team and brief them on the ground situation in the state. The central team is scheduled to visit the three districts of Dhemai, Dibrugarh and Sivasagar. After concluding their visit to Assam, the central team will submit its report to their respective authorities.

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