Mizoram: African swine fever killed over 47 thousand pigs since 2021

Aizawl: A total of 47,969 pigs have died and 25,822 others culled due to the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) across Mizoram since March 2021, the state animal husbandry and veterinary department said.

The department said that 33,417 pigs died due to ASF in 2021, 12,795 in 2022 and 1,039 in 2023.

Besides, 718 pigs also died due to the dread swine fever since January this year, it said.

It said that 12,568 pigs have been culled in 2021 to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever, 11,686 in 2022 and 928 in 2023.

640 pigs have also been culled since January this year, it said.

17 pigs died and 6 others were culled due to ASF on Wednesday, it said.

Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department deputy director Dr M Zohmingthangi said that the ASF outbreak is considered a pandemic and it usually becomes more alarming or intense during summer.

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She said the outbreak has affected six districts- Aizawl, Lunglei, Champhai, Khawzawl, Saitual and Serchhip.

The outbreak of ASF was first reported at Lungsen village in south Mizoram's Lunglei district near the Bangladesh border in March 2021.

Officials believed that the outbreak was caused by pigs illegally imported from the neighbouring country.

Mizoram shares a 318-km-long international border with Bangladesh.

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The state government continued to impose a ban on the import of pigs from outside the state.

The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department has also put up strict measures, including the prohibition of the import or export of pigs from the infected zones.

The ASF outbreak is considered "endemic" after some wild boars were found dead due to the dreaded pig disease in the jungles in east Mizoram's Champhai district in July 2022.

Mizoram was also hit by Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS)  in 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2020 killing thousands of pigs and piglets causing a loss to the tune of Rs 10.62 crore.