African swine fever (ASF) continues to wreak havoc on the livestock sector in Mizoram, affecting up to 10 of its 11 counties, killing more than 9,000 pigs in just over three months, according to the state’s Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences.
According to the department on Sunday, at least 152 villages or local areas in 10 districts are currently affected by the ASF outbreak, which is causing a loss of over Rs. 36.68 million euros.
“Exceptional deaths” of 699 pigs have been reported even outside of ASF-infected areas, it said.
The data also says 1,078 pigs have been killed to date to prevent the disease from spreading further.
The first pig death from ASF was reported on March 21 in the village of Lungsen in the southern Mizoram district of Lunglei on the border with Bangladesh.
Although the spread of ASF has now become “less severe” in Lunglei district, it has begun to devastate Aizawl district, which according to joint director of the animal health department, Dr. Lalhming thanga.
So far, ASF has 3,092 pigs in Lunglei District, 684 in Mamit District, 939 in Serchhip District, 320 in Lawngtlai District, 334 in Khawzawl District, 83 in Hnahthial District, 257 in Champhai District, 8 in Saitual District and 1. killed in Siaha district, he said.
Only the Kolasib district, which borders Assam, is currently ASF-free, he said.
Lalhmingthanga said a specific disease investigation team that visited Lungsen village April 5-8 found pigs being illegally imported from Bangladesh through villages like Tipperaghat and Khojoysury near the Bangladesh border.
Illegal pig dealers use the village of Lungsen to keep the animals there before taking them to the Lunglei market, he said.
The senior official said the president of Rolui Village Council announced that an outbreak of an unknown disease killed several pigs in Bangladeshi villages along the Indian border in February 2021.
Lalhmingthanga said the ASF outbreak in Aizawl district and Champhai district in east Mizoram is believed to be caused by pork or pork imported from Meghalaya and Myanmar, respectively.
Mizoram shares international borders with Assam, Manipur and Tripura and international borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Experts said ASF poses no threat to human health and cannot be passed from pigs to humans. So far there is no vaccine against the virus.
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