• NET Web Desk

Mizoram 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.

Currently, inoculation seems to be the only measure to combat the swine disease outbreak in Mizoram, which has severely affected wild animals.

The state government has decided to write to the Central Government, requesting it to import vaccines against the viral disease from Vietnam.

According to the Joint Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department (Livestock Health) – Dr Lalhmingthanga, “samples extracted from carcasses of wild boars found in two forest areas in Champhai district were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal. It has recently confirmed that they died of ASF.”

Carcasses of two female wild boars and a piglet were found in a jungle about six kilometres from Leisenzo village in Champhai district on July 19.

Meanwhile, the cadavers of wild pigs were retrieved from a forest in Samthanga region at the same district.

“It is now believed that the disease cannot be eradicated through the existing containment measures being taken according to the National Action Plan as the outbreak is now considered endemic,” Lalhmingthanga said. He said that vaccination is the only solution to contain the outbreak right now.

“Vaccines (against ASF) are available in Vietnam but the Centre’s approval is required to import them,” the official said.

The state government would write to the Centre next week to inform it about the detection of ASF in wild boars. The central government would also be requested to provide vaccines from Vietnam, he stated.

According to the data released by the state Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services (AH&VS) department on Thursday, altogether 9,891 pigs and piglets have died due to the ASF outbreak since February 2022.

The administration has also culled a total of 8,486 pigs and piglets to prevent the disease during the same period. The data revealed that 43,308 pigs and piglets have died and over 19,300 culled since March last year because of ASF.

At least 134 villages and localities in 10 districts have been currently affected by the outbreak.

ASF was first reported on March 21 last year at Lungsen village in south Mizoram’s Lunglei district bordering Bangladesh. Although the outbreak was considered more or less contained in December, it resurfaced in February 2022.