After Mizoram, African Swine Fever Infiltrates Sikkim

Gangtok: The lethal African Swine Fever (ASF) virus has managed to sneak into Sikkim after ravaging the state of Mizoram.

Several cases of African Swine Fever have been identified in at least four districts of the state, namely - Gangtok, Mangan, Pakyong, and Namchi.

The cases of African Swine Fever in Sikkim are going up north a result of which the Sikkim department of animal husbandry has decided to put curbs in place so as to monitor the spread of this deadly virus in the state.

An advisory may well be issued by the Sikkim government to keep a track of the spread of the African Swine Fever Virus in the state.

African Swine Flu (ASF) happens to be a highly contagious viral disease emanating from pigs. The disease generally leads to a high mortality rate in its extreme form.

It is worth noting that African Swine Flu (ASF) is not the same as Swine Flu and both of them differ from each other. Humans are not affected by the ASF and there are no repercussions on human health.

The clinical signs of ASF may take place in chronic, sub-acute or acute forms. The incubation period for ASF varies but it usually happens between a period of five to fifteen days.

The body temperature of the pigs' increases (40.5 degrees Celsius or 105 degrees Fahrenheit), then becomes dull, and thereafter, the pigs cease to eat their food.

Meanwhile, more than 30,000 pigs had to be culled in Mizoram as a result of a major outbreak of the disease in 2021.

Notably, following the cases, the Mizoram government had announced its decision to ban the import of pigs and pork products in the wake of new cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) being detected in the state

As per the official notification, 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.

Also read: Bisleri Moves To High Court Challenging Sikkim's Ban On Bottled Water

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