• NET Web Desk

Manipur has been engulfed with scare of African Swine Fever (ASF) infections – a highly contagious haemorrhagic illness of domestic and wild pigs, which has been intermittent along the Northeastern Indian regions.

The ASF outbreak has been confirmed in Dang Farming located under Grihang village of Manipur’s Kamjong district; following the issuance of laboratory test reports received on May 30; informed a senior official of the state Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services (AH&VS) Department.

The source of the disease, on the other hand, is yet to be ascertained.

Following the report, the Kamjong Deputy Commissioner designated 1 km radius around Dang farming, Grihang village, as the “infected zone”, and 10 km radius from the infected premises as “surveillance zone”.

The DC in a notification on June 1 ordered that no live pig, pig feed, pork or pork products will be allowed to be taken out or brought into the zone.

“No carrier of goods or animals will carry any animals from or out of the infected zone. No person is allowed to take out any pig alive or dead which is infected or suspected to be infected with ASF,” the notification of the DC said.

At the same time, no person, organisation or institution shall hold any animal market or exhibition and carry on any activity which involves grouping or gathering of pigs within the zone, it added.

Meanwhile the district veterinary office has also formed Rapid Response Teams consisting of officers and staff “to effectively combat any eventuality in connection with control, containment and eradication of the disease and prevent further spread.”