First Instance Of African Swine Flu In India; Nearly 2,500 Pigs Killed In 306 Villages In Assam

While the nation is battling against COVID-19 pandemic, the Assam Government on Sunday (4 May) revealed that the State had witnessed the first instance of the African Swine Flu which has killed over 2,500 pigs in the State across 306 villages, reports Economic Times.

The State Government has already received the go-ahead from the Central government to take up the culling of pigs so as to contain the disease. However, the State has decided to first adopt alternative mechanisms to keep the highly contagious disease from spreading.

Not only is this the first instance of the African Swine Flu in the State of Assam, but in all of India. The disease has been confirmed in the pigs in Assam by the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD).

It should be noted that the death rate of pigs affected by the African Swine Flu is cent per cent.

As per Assam's Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Atul Bora, the State was home to over 21 lakh pigs as of a census conducted by the State Department in 2019. The same is however estimated to have now surged to around 30 lakh.

Animal resource experts in northeast India suspect that the highly contagious ASF came to the region from Tibet in China through Arunachal Pradesh. Five of the eight northeastern states are free from coronavirus whereas its spread has been tamed in other three states.

Besides Assam and Meghalaya, other states governments in the northeast have sounded a high alert and asked people, especially owners of piggeries, to refrain from bringing pigs from other states.