African Swine Fever Outbreak: Mizoram, Sikkim, And Assam Restrict Import of Pigs

Guwahati: Three northeastern states, namely Mizoram, Sikkim, and Assam, are witnessing an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) cases -- a highly contagious viral disease emanating from pigs.

In a bid to contain the spread of the virus, the Mizoram government has already announced its decision to ban the import of pigs and pork products in the wake of new ASF cases.

''There will be a complete ban on the import of live pigs, fresh pork, and all other pork products, including frozen pork, from other states and other countries until further orders,'' an official order read from the Mizoram government read.

The virus has also managed to sneak into Sikkim as several cases were detected in the state's four districts namely Gangtok, Mangan, Pakyong, and Namchi.

Since the cases are going up north; the Sikkim department of animal husbandry has also decided to put curbs in place so as to monitor the spread of this deadly virus in the state.

Reportedly, Sikkim has reported a total of 115 pig deaths, which account for suspected ASF cases.

According to a report by The Print, Assam has reported two pig deaths due to ASF in January and March this year, following which restrictions have also been imposed in and around the epicenter of the outbreak, in the state's Goalpara and Charaideo districts.

In the last two years, outbreaks were also seen in Assam (where 38,700 pigs died over 18 months), Meghalaya (where 300 pigs died), and across districts of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Tripura.

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