Assam Culls 486 ASF-Infected Pigs at Border to Contain Outbreak

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: As a preventive measure against the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF), the state government culled 486 pigs from outside states at the interstate border of Assam-West Bengal. The pigs were culled near the Srirampur border checkpoint in the Kokrajhar district.

The entry of live pigs into the state had already been banned, but pigs are transported to other NE states through Assam, as the consumption of pork in many NE states is quite high.

Speaking to The Sentinel, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Minister Krishnendu Paul said today, "As per earlier rules of the Assam government, when pigs are found to be infected by the ASF virus, they are sent back from the border points. As the ASF situation turned for the worse in several districts of Assam, we recently decided to cull pigs found positive for the virus at the state border entry points. After the implementation of the decision, we recently found two pig-laden trucks that contained pigs with the virus at the Srirampur border point. On November 23 and 24, our department culled the pigs and buried them as per protocol. Testing of pigs is being carried out at the Assam-West Bengal border on a daily basis."

So far, the state veterinary department has culled 486 pigs found infected with the ASF virus at the border entry points into the state.

The minister went on to say, "Since 2020, this year has turned out to be the worst in terms of ASF. So far, more than 300 epicentres of ASF have been recorded, with around 5,000 pigs dead and 16,000 culled. The farmers whose pigs were culled will be compensated as per the Government of India guidelines. We have already taken up the matter of additional funds from the Centre to provide compensation. Task forces have been set up in several districts to monitor the ASF situation and keep an eye on the markets and places where pigs are sold."

The situation arising from the ASF outbreak compelled the state Animal Husbandry & Veterinary department to issue an order on November 16, banning the transportation of live pigs and the sale of pork or pig meat in the districts of Dhemaji, Kamrup, Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Darrang, Jorhat and Dibrugarh.

The department's order stated that ASF has a 100% mortality rate. Since its first occurrence in 2020, the disease has devastated the piggery industry in Assam. The department also urged the people to abide by its order banning the transportation of live pigs and the sale of pork in the districts mentioned above, in a bid to prevent further spread of the disease.

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs but does not affect humans. It is characterized by high fever, loss of appetite, and haemorrhages, often leading to death in 90-100% of infected pigs. ASF is a major threat to the global pig farming industry and is spread through direct contact with infected animals or indirect contact with contaminated food, ticks, or equipment. As there is no vaccine or medicine for ASF at present, prevention relies on strict bio security measures being put in place.

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