ASF outbreak surges in Darrang, over 200 pigs culled in two days
Darrang district administration on Monday has banned transportation of pigs and sale of pork in the entire district
A file image of authorities collecting blood samples from a dead female pig in Lakhimpur.
Mangaldoi, Nov 19: The outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) has turned serious in some parts of Darrang district over the past couple of days. There has been report of more than 300 confirmed cases of ASF, the District Veterinary Department sources said. In the last two days, culling of more than 200 infected pigs have been reported. On Tuesday, culling was conducted in village Burha and its one kilometre radius under the Pathorighat revenue circle.
So far, more than 150 pigs have been culled and the figure is likely to become double. Earlier on Monday, 70 pigs belonging to three different farms of Chapai Medhipara village under Mangaldai veterinary circle were culled following official protocols.
Meanwhile, the Darrang district administration on Monday has banned transportation of pigs and sale of pork in the entire district and also declared punitive actions to its violators.
Earlier on November 16 the Assam government imposed an immediate ban on inter-district movement of live pigs following an “alarming” surge in African Swine Fever (ASF) cases across the state, officials said.
The sale of pork has also been prohibited in seven severely affected districts—Dhemaji, Kamrup, Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Darrang, Jorhat and Dibrugarh—according to an order issued by the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department.
ASF, which carries a 100% mortality rate, has caused extensive damage to Assam’s piggery sector, the order stated.
Cases have been rising rapidly since January, with 297 epicentres detected statewide, and a higher concentration in the seven affected districts. Notably, 84 new epicentres were identified in October alone.
By
Correspondent