2,500 pigs killed in Assam after first case of African swine flu popped in India

Assam : The Assam government on Sunday announced that they have registered the first case of African Swine flu in the state and as a precautionary measure, it has killed over 2,500 pigs across 306 villages.

Despite a go-ahead from the Centre, the state government will not resort to culling of the pigs immediately and will adopt an alternate mechanism to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease, Assam Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Atul Bora said at a press conference.

The official clarified that this is a separate disease and it has not relation with the coronavirus. "The National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, has confirmed that it is African Swine Flu (ASF). The central government has informed us that it is the first instance of the disease in the country," Bora said.

According to 2019 census report, the pig population was around 21 lakh and it has drastically increased to around 30 lakh.

"We have discussed with experts if we can save the pigs without culling them. The death percentage of the pigs affected by the disease is almost 100 per cent. So we have made some strategies to save the pigs, which are not affected by the virus," Bora said.

The department will collect samples within one-km radius of the infected area and test them, he said.

"After testing, we will cull only those pigs which will be found infected. We are avoiding the immediate culling of the pigs. We will take daily updates and will take a decision as and when the situation arises," Bora said.