Manipur govt forms 60 rapid response teams to contain African Swine Fever outbreak

Imphal: The Manipur Government has formed 60 Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) for all districts to control, contain, and eradicate the African Swine Fever (ASF), which was detected spreading in the Kakching and Churachandpur districts.

As notified by the Government on Friday, the public was informed that no pig, pig feed, or infected materials shall be moved from the Infected Zone or Surveillance Zones notified by the concerned district administration.

Moreover, there should be no disposal of pig carcasses or any part of a pig carcass in any lakes, rivers, ponds, canals, any water body, roadside, field, or elsewhere.

African Swine Fever is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs, causing high mortality and severe economic losses.

However, the disease does not infect humans and therefore poses no risk to public health. The state government appealed to the public not to panic.

Since ASF is a notifiable disease under the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act (2009), the Government is implementing control and containment measures at the levels of the District Administration, District Forest Office, village/Block Level Authorities as per the National Action Plan for Control, Containment and Eradication of African Swine Fever (2020) issued by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India.

The Government also appealed to the public to extend full cooperation in control, containment, and eradication measures of the outbreak and urged them not to panic, as the disease is not transmissible to humans.