Poonam Nath

African Swine Fever case increases; Assam Govt. restricts inter-district pig transport

Digital Desk: The Assam government has put an emergency ban on inter-district movement of live pigs, citing an "alarming" surge in African Swine Fever (ASF) cases across the state.

The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department issued an order on Sunday prohibiting the sale of pork in seven districts that have reported the most outbreaks: Dhemaji, Kamrup, Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Darrang, Jorhat, and Dibrugarh.

The department stated that ASF, a highly contagious viral disease with an almost 100% fatality rate, had caused "extensive damage" to Assam's piggery sector. The state has identified 297 ASF areas since January, with illnesses rising significantly in recent months. Officials detected 84 new outbreaks in October alone, showing the rapid spread of the virus within pig populations.

In response to the increasing spread of infectious diseases in animals, the government has invoked the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act of 2009, which imposes indefinite limitations.

This restriction is expected to have a significant impact on pork growers, traders, and consumers in Assam, a major pork-consuming and pig-rearing state in India. Authorities stress the significance of strictly adhering to biosecurity measures in order to prevent additional illness transmission.